One hour that changed everything
by InfiniteDragon
Summary: What's an hour, more or less? In the case of Konoha, an hour means everything. An alternate timeline, in which Minato still sealed the Kyuubi inside his newborn son, but in which the Demon Fox had one- just one- more hour to destroy Konoha. NaruSakuIno.
1. Chapter 1: Approaching Thunder

In which Konoha was still destroyed by the Kyuubi, though the beast was still bound to Naruto.

Seventeen years later, descendants of the survivors begin to gather as their parents (or their last words) begin to come to light, speaking of a prophecy about rebirth, and giving instructions to each of them to gather near/in the ruins of Konohagakure.

Pairings featured: Naruto/Undecided- possibly small harem, or both Hinata and Sakura, or just one, or something. Shikamaru/Temari. Sasuke/Ino. Choji/OC (or Shina(o) Aburame). Neji/Tenten. Lee/OC, Kiba/OC, minor pairings: Kaka/Anko (maybe), Tsunade/Jirayia, (probably not 'romantic'), Iruka/Ayame, or Iruka/Shizune, Gai and... someone. Maybe. Could be an OC. Asuma/Kurenai, Hints of Kushina/Minato (they're dead, but people have memories) Possibly Hiashi/OC. For no particular reason.

Plans: Fairly long, want to tell a version of the story including the aftermath of the most recent Great Shinobi War, up through Akatsuki, at the least.

This is a NEW fic, but will not be worked on extensively until all other current projects of mine are finished. (Because it's a BIG project I have planned)

**Chap. 1 Approaching Thunder**

It was raining again as the two men slogged down the muddy trail, and in the distance, thunder rumbled frequently, though the lightning was never seen through the thick trees and darkness overhead. Even through hundreds of feet of dense canopy, the water dripped incessantly onto the pair's heads and shoulders, the sheer ferocity of the downpour above breaking through the leafy barrier with ease.  
"It's almost time," the older said, causing the younger to grunt.

For a time, nothing more was said, and only the rain and thunder accompanied their breathing and the slurping of their boots in the mud.

"What's it like, Ojou-san?" The younger man's voice was a bit hoarse, as if he'd been running for a long time, or his throat was dry, despite the rain.

The answer was a long time coming. "It's... not like I remember, I know that much. But you want me to tell you again? You've heard it a hundred times."

"Don't bullshit me, Pops. Every time I ask you say that- but you've only ever talked about it when you're drunk." Despite the harshness of the words, the easy smile and quirk of eyebrows would have shown even a casual observer that the pair, despite the obvious difference in their ages, were closer than almost any other father and son.

"Tch. Kids these days, no respect for the elderly. Is it _my_ fault if I can't remember petty details like that? I have big, important things on my mind. I can't be remembering little things like that."

The younger man gave a chuckle, "Right. Because you're just _so_ ancient. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you, _Ojii-sama_? Your old bones must be going through hell right now, with the rain and the walk."

In a blur, the older man's right arm lashed out to deliver a cuff to the younger's head. It would have been a killing blow to a normal man- if it had connected. With reflexes born of constant practice and training, if not fighting for his very survival, the young man leapt away, still smiling, and growled, "Oh, so the old man wants to have some fun? Maybe I should show him why the younger generation always wins in the end?" He assumed a fighting stance a few paces away from his senior, but the old man simply laughed out loud in response.

"Ha, Naruto! The younger ones win because the older ones get old... but time is a fight _no one_ can win. Not even you!"

The older man had continued his leisurely pace while he talked, forcing the younger to run a bit to catch up after he relaxed his pose.

"So, Ojou-san... what's it like?"

With a sigh, the older man took another long breath and looked up into the rain and trees before he began to speak.

"Konoha... the Konoha I knew, anyway, was a beautiful place. There are trees, and buildings, and long, winding, straight roads... the mountain of the Hokage rises above the village, their monuments both stern and loving. When it rains, it's never hard, but always a pleasant, soothing amount. Enough to wet tongues, fill reservoirs, and keep the abundant plant life green and lush almost all year long. Even the winters are pretty mild, it only snows for about a month a year, and more than a few inches on the ground at a time is rare.

"But it's the people that I always loved. Even at their worst, Konoha's people are kind, generous, and loving... there are exceptions. I can't deny that... but overall, the civilians and shinobi alike were the best of what humanity had to offer. The women were beautiful, every single one of them. The men handsome, strong, and kind to their friends. Merciful to their enemies. Most of the time, anyway.

"But why do you want me to tell you all of this, anyway? You know it's all different."

Once again, the younger man waited a time before answering, long enough that the older could hear the rain above slowly lessening. _Good, I'd hate to arrive and not be able to see anything._

"Because Konoha... hearing about it from you. It reminds me of Kaa-san, and Sakura-chan, and Shizune-nee-chan, and... it reminds me of home."

The old man smiled, a gentle, quiet thing, but said nothing. _Good boy, Naruto. Seventeen years old, and wiser than most old farts I know. It's those little things that made Konoha worth fighting for. You hold on to that- and hold on to the ladies in your life. They're all beautiful, sure, but there's so much more than that..._

For another hour, the two plodded along while the sound of rain above lessened to a stop, and the rain around them, drizzling from the leaves, finally began to decrease as well.

It was as the light truly began to fade from beneath the canopy, that Naruto gave a shout of pure joy. "Ojou-san! Ojou-san, look! It's there, it's there! _Home!_" Without another word, and ignoring his companions' half-hearted cries to slow down and wait for him, and that their destination wasn't going anywhere, the blond teen tore down the road, flinging mud up behind him.

Tears came to the old man's eyes when he rounded the last bend in the trail. _Home indeed. It's not a place, Naruto... it's the people who live there._

Twenty yards or so ahead, on the stoop of the cottage set in the exact center of the clearing, a slender, pink-haired girl around Naruto's age, and an older, but no less beautiful despite her more common features, brunette were sobbing into one each of Naruto's shoulders, his own arms wrapped tightly around them as well.

It was the figure behind them, though, that drew his eyes- in more ways than one. Taller than any of the other three, as tall, in fact, as himself, the one true love of his life stood. Her bearing unbowed by age and worry as his had begun to be, she looked on the three with stern eyes, though he knew in his heart she was overflowing with the same joy the younger generation felt.  
After all, it wasn't every day that one of your children- by blood or no- came home from a seven-year-journey.

The old man stopped a few feet away from the hugging youngsters, his eyes set firmly on Tsunade's ample cleavage. _I won't look up. I won't look up. I won't look-  
_"Jiraiya, you old toad, how long are you going to ignore me?"

His beady eyes flew from his second-favorite feature to his first at once. _Damn it!_  
"'hime," he breathed, unable to help himself. For a moment, he allowed himself to think she wouldn't hear over the quieting sobs of the trio between them, but the instant tightening of her lips suggested otherwise.

"Well?"

"Uh... Hi, Tsunade-hime?"

One of her eyebrows quirked.

"Umm..." despite himself, Jirayia started glancing around casually, looking for an escape route from her wrath, when the older blonde's 'hmph' brought his attention back to hers like a deer caught in headlights.  
To his shock, though, he found not her disapproval, but her arms open, and a small grin on her lips. "Come here, ya old fart. I think I can let you cop a feel once- it _has_ been seven years that you've been on your best behavior. _Right_?"

Overjoyed, but worried all the same, the white-haired man sputtered, "Uh-of-... of course, Tsunade! I'm always on my best behavior!" he said, slowly walking forward. On the one hand, being offered a hug from Tsunade was rare in the extreme for anyone but Naruto. As well, it was one of his fondest dreams to be held in her arms... but on the other hand...  
"Has he really been good, Naruto?"

Like his companion, the blonde teen looked upwards at the other woman's eyes, and found himself unable to look away as he stammered, "Uh, y... yeah, for su... well... m- mostly?"

_Aww shit. _Thanks, _Naruto!_  
But it was too late. Tsunade had timed it all too well- Jirayia had just taken the last step into her waiting arms, finally allowed himself to believe it was really real, when her superhuman strength began crushing the life out of him. "'Mostly' good?" she whispered dangerously into his ears.  
"Uh... um, y- yeah, of course, Tsu- Tsunade-hime! I'm always good when I think of y- ow... Tsunade, it's getting hard to..."

But the other woman, long used to doing this sort of thing, didn't let up or release him until he was completely unconscious. Then, though, with another faint smile, she held him in a relaxed fashion, holding him as one old friend holds another after a long absence.

"Okaa-sama," the pink-haired girl spoke up, the trio having witnessed the last of this encounter, "if you don't leave Jirayia-sama alone next time, I think you're really going to kill him. He's not as young as you are, you know."

* * *

Wind howled through the ruins, just as it had done for seventeen years. The changes in temperature caused by the sun's path across the sky caused a near-constant flow of wind through the valley that occupied the space where a massive stone monument once stood.

Here or there, voles and other nocturnal rodents were chased by a wild dog or cat. The man shivered, but not due to the cold. No, it was instead the mounting weight he could feel on his shoulders- the weight of destiny.

He stood slowly, stretching his aching muscles. _Tonight_._ Tonight is the night my destiny begins. The others will be arriving soon. That fire may be one of them, and then, we when are gathered, the survivors and descendants will once again have Fate on our side.  
Retribution. Vengeance. Death to those who destroy. Destruction to those who bring death._

A stronger gust caused the black hair behind him to sway along with his older brother's beside him. "Onii-san," he spoke, his voice calm and controlled despite the tension mounting in him, "Am I right? Is that...?"

The older brother gave a faint nod, his face as impassive as always, "It is our progenitor line, returned at last. The Uchiha are returning to the land of our heritage, Sasuke."

"So it's true, then," the younger replied, "the Prophecy is coming true... and Konoha will return. The prophesied child is _here_."

Itachi nodded once again, not bothering to correct his younger brother's implied assumption. _It is not you, Sasuke, though it could have been. No, the Prophecy speaks of another._

The siblings stood in silence for perhaps an hour longer, their sharp, red eyes able to pick out the details of the gathering crowd by the distant fire. And then, at some unspoken and unheard sign, they turned as one and began walking up the slope towards the decimated monument the pair had used as a home since the destruction of their parent's home seventeen years before. Indeed, it was the only home the younger of the two had ever known.

* * *

The caravan continued as it had since it's creation, following it's migratory path from Kusagakure, the Village Hidden in the Grass, to Amegakure, the Rain Village, and from there to the ninja village of the Land of Wind, Sunagakure, to the smaller village of Hoshi, curving back eastward to Ame, then north to Iwa, east to Takigakure, the only major city in the land of Waterfalls, even continuing on to the land of one of Konoha's former enemies, Otogakure, before curving back south to skirt along- and just inside- the dangerous, lawless area that was once the Land of Fire.

Without it's Ninja Village to protect it, the once-powerful nation had fallen inside a year, to treachery, betrayal, and outright war. Stone, Cloud, Grass, the newly-formed Sound, Rain, and even their former ally, Wind, had launched major campaigns, each carving out a major part of the country, until what was left had collapsed under it's own weight.

What was left, now, was controlled by bandit kings and a few of the most powerful families, descendants of Fire's old daimyo. But even those islands of relative peace and security shrank rapidly, day by day. It was only a matter of time, the leader of the caravan new, before all traces of the once-mighty nation were gone. _Except for us, and a few others. Whispers and rumors, back-ally talk... to think our Clan, once the strongest in Konoha, would be reduced to shady dealings and smuggling to survive... but survive we have, and our time is nigh._

"Form up!" the order came from his mouth without a thought, long ingrained into his psyche, just as it was for his children, who had grown up in the then-new caravan, knew little else, aside from their history. That, though, had been drilled into each of their generation- how the Hyuuga had once practically controlled, or at least influenced, every aspect of life in their former home, how their techniques were second-to-none in unarmed combat, and the wealth they had hidden somewhere in the catacombs underneath their former dwelling. _If any of it remains after seventeen years of occupation by thieves... but unless they have the Byakugan, it would be difficult to even see the signs. Maybe some remains._

Another man, nearly identical to himself, walked up from behind him, and said in a voice only slightly different from his own, "Hiashi, the caravan is ready. But... I have doubts."

The older twin gave a curt nod, before calling out, "Move out!" and then in a softer voice, modulated so that only his younger brother could hear, "I understand, Hizashi. I do, as well. But we must trust in the Prophecy- it's the only hope we have."

His brother gave another nod, then slowed his pace without another word to drop back and bring up the rear of the group.

By noon, the wagons, people, and their horses and oxen had forded two streams and one river, even had to barter for passage on a barge across a bay, but were finally nearing their second-to-last destination, a small village named, aptly, Tent Town. _If there were ever people more needy of help then the survivors of Konoha... it is these,_ Hiashi thought as they neared the outskirts of the gigantic tent city. Already, cries were echoing through the 'streets', as word began to spread that the caravan was nearly there.

"I don't know how to thank you," the old man said to Hiashi, "for everything you've done for us. All of us here, every single one, owe our lives to you and your Clan. The supplies and food you bring... it's all that has kept us afloat for these nine years. The nine years since that bastard Gatoh..."

Hiashi held up a hand, firmly but subtly instructing the older man to be silent, then said in a low voice, just over a whisper, "Things change, Tazuna-san. This is our last trip through, our last circuit."

At first, the older man couldn't shake the stunned expression on his face. Before too long, however, he began to stammer, "But- But- is it Gatoh? Do you need help with guards? Bandits? We-"

Hiashi shook his head once, and replied, "Neither. We have been happy to help, but our priorities have changed, that is all. It is time for us to cease our wandering, and return home."

Tazuna gave the younger man a puzzled look that swiftly changed into one of understanding, "Ah, yes... home. So has the secret of your kekkei-genkai become known? That your Warrior-Monks are, in fact, trained ninja of the Hyuuga?"

The other shook his head again, "Not to our knowledge. It is simply time. I cannot tell you any more just now, but... I pray for your safety over the next year. Perhaps, when the supplies are running low, we will be able to send word, if not aid. It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Tazuna-san, and a pleasure to know you."

The older man gave a deep bow, even deeper than that the clan patriarch and merchant prince had given him, and replied, his voice shaking with repressed feeling, "And you, Hiashi-sama. Your family will always be welcome in our town."

---

**AN**: There you have it, the first, preview-ish chapter for One Hour. Like all my fics, I don't abandon things- but don't get your hopes set on reading more of this too soon, I have a lot to catch up on now that I'm back to writing. :)

**CORRECTION:** I don't normally do this, since I rarely make a mistake like this, but... those of who you noticed the XXXXXXXXXXXXXX in the caravan's route haven't said anything yet. Oddly enough, I caught it right off the bat, but forgot to fix it. It was never intended to be like that, of course, so I had to fix it for that alone. However, it bears mentioning that the route, while not super important, IS worth having in there- it may bear some relevance to some mysteries or some similar things in the future.

Also, a bit of news: Chapter 2 is in the works. Not too many new characters in this one, but more of a personality introduction for the ones we've already seen, since they are/can be markedly different from the canon storyline- if for no other reason than they're 3 years older (2 for "Team Ten") than they are in Shippuden. Also, bear in mind- Naruto, while essentially still the same, _will_ have a big change in personality and power- not that I'll make him Super Naruto- simply because he has been _well_ trained for his entire life. He was never abandoned, never been beaten by an angry mob... sure, he still has some social issues- he _was_ brought up by the likes of Jiraiya and Tsunade, after all- but they did raise him, so he will be different from that as well. If that kind of thing turns you off, then I ask that you turn away now and find another fic to read.

_However_, if, like me, you find a well-written, and well-reasoned change in personality to your liking, then forge ahead. I like to think I'm good at that sort of thing, and strike a good balance between canon and new versions of the character. As in Naruto's case... Trickster? Certainly. Goof-oof? Oh, yes. Bratty, ill-tempered? Yes- sometimes. But impatient? Not this one. He's had to work, and wait, for a long time to get where he is. As a result, he's learned that you can't just yell and scream to get what you want. That behavior is typical of foster/orphans, anyway, and while Naruto certainly _knows_ Jiraiya and Tsunade aren't his parents, he's never felt that they weren't. But enough about that... You're probably waiting for chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2: The First Cloud Bursts

**A/N:** Ah, the long-awaited- or at least, hopefully awaited a little, 2nd chapter. Firstly, let me make a note for everyone here and now: I have two titles for this fic, both of which are appropriate. The first is the one it's posted under: _One hour that changed everything. That refers to the extra hour that the Kyuubi had to trash Konoha, leading to the AU-ness_. The second is _Shattered Past, Stronger Future_. That refers, again, to the AU-ness, but implying that Konoha will be reborn stronger than it was. I like both, but will leave the first one as the actual title it's posted under for clarity's sake- unless I get swarms of people telling me the other is better.  
Secondly, while this chapter is 'longer' than the previous, it's mostly building to certain plot-points again, though I wouldn't recommend skipping it- even my 'fluff' tends to have a lot of valuable info hidden in it somewhere... and the chapter title isn't a misnomer. :)  
Enjoy!

**Chap. 2 The first cloud bursts**

The rain had started up again, and without the shelter of the trees pounded the small cottage- it's combined kitchen, dining, and living area barely able to house the furniture and the five people that occupied it- mercilessly. But none of those five could have cared less, unless the home had blown down around them.

Instead, they were concerned more with each other, and any observer, even one in the freezing rain outside, would have been warmed by the scene, simply by peering through one of the windows. Jiraiya was sitting on one arm of the short couch, clutching his chest with one hand and holding up the other to forestall any attempt to continue the story, while beside him, Tsunade had both arms over her eyes, trying to hide the tears of mirth, despite the blush spreading from her face down her neck, and even turning her ample cleavage a bright, hot red. Beside the blond woman, Shizune tried, and failed miserably, to contain her own laughter, her dark eyes flickering from her Master, to Naruto, to Sakura, and back the whole while.

Across the room, Sakura sat against an Ottoman, not even trying to hold in her gales of laughter, and, when Naruto jumped up from the padded chair behind her to stand in front of the roaring fire and gesticulate wildly to illustrate his tale, actually fell over to lay sideways on the ground, unable to halt her peals of laughter.

Inside, it was warm and cozy, the fire combined with the body heat of the occupants keeping the room a balmy temperature as they laughed. Their bellies full, the table had been shunted aside while the group continued to reminisce and tell the stories of their long separation.

"No, Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto was saying loudly, "She looked _totally_ different from Tsunade-Okaa-san! But she was blond, and she had big bo-"

"_Naruto Uzumaki!_"

At once, as if seven long years had not gone by, the young man standing before them transformed at once into a crying ten-year-old boy being scolded by his mother. "I forbid you to use that word! You will use the medical terms you have been taught, or you will not stay in my house. _Is that clear_?"

Cowed, the normally brazen young man resumed the story with his head bowed, chin on his chest, and without any of the previous energy. "Anyway, she just had big breasts, but Jiraiya-ojou-san was so drunk, he couldn't tell the difference. So they went up to his room, and... that's it."

By the time that one sentence had been spoken, everyone else was wishing the older woman hadn't interrupted. She, however, was glad _not_ to hear the end of the story as Naruto remembered it. In fact, she was almost certain that both he and the older man warranted further punishment. The boy's would come now, but the old man's... his would wait.

"Naruto, you must be so tired, and here we've kept you up for hours! Why don't you and Sakura go take a bath- Jiraiya can take one later- and then you can go to bed, okay?"

The casual tone in which she'd spoken did nothing to decrease the sudden shift in atmosphere. Naruto shifted exactly three inches further away from Sakura, placing him well out of harm's way, his face turning as red as Tsunade's had been moments before. For her part, the pink-haired young woman controlled all but the smallest of her reactions, a widening of her eyes and pink tinge to match her mane betrayed that she thought anything odd of the request- but neither reacted further than that.

For a moment, Shizune and Jiraiya said nothing, only looked at Tsunade in surprise, before the blond woman asked, "What? They used to bathe together all the time when they were little. What's so different now?"

The three oldest suddenly burst into renewed laughter, while the youngest two could do nothing but blush even more furiously, and do everything in their power to _not_ meet each other's eyes.

* * *

"Let's stow the gear in bolt hole fourteen, little brother, in case our company isn't as friendly as they should be- kin or no."

Behind him, Itachi could both feel and hear his little brother's nod as he finished throwing gear into the pouch every trained ninja seemed to carry somewhere on their person. "And our combat gear, Nii-sama?"  
"A ninja does not go unprepared if he can help it."

"Hai."

Without another word, the two spent another hour, the light of dawn just beginning to creep over the horizon, before they had finished hiding all the remains of their nearly seven-year habitat. To even a well-trained, if not shinobi, eye, the caverns would look like nothing more than an escape tunnel system for the ruined village below, not the hiding place of two descendants of the once-mighty village. Sasuke walked up beside his taller, older brother and, like him, stared down onto the slowly-brightening ruins eighteen hundred feet below. "Will they be friendly to us, do you think?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it, Sasuke-kun? One way or the other, we must ally with them. The line must go on, and the two of us are not enough to ensure it's safety."

Sasuke nodded, and Itachi continued, "Let us go meet our kin." He stepped forward onto the well-hidden but secure path without hesitation, but the younger man faltered for a split second before following behind him.

Two hours later, a shout was raised at the far edge of the ruins, "Incoming! Look like shinobi, prepare for attack!"

For many, the sheer fact that the man had been able to speak the full sentence without being attacked or killed was a good sign, for others, the tension spiked at once. The camp had been on full alert for days, and even though they had not been harmed or molested since passing into the huge forests surrounding Konoha, the rumors of bandit armies and rogue shinobi that had taken up residence in the area had even the most experienced of them walking on the razor's edge between adrenaline and exhaustion.

Within seconds, six men and four women, each dressed in black, flowing garments that covered everything from head to toe, even a thin layer over their eyes, stood in a line between the two newcomers and the group of people behind them.

The approaching pair spotted flurried movement and more obvious preparation for battle as they casually approached the camp, but made no move to change their direction or even speed. Instead, the elder of the brothers, for it was obvious that the two were very closely related, turned his empty palms to face forward as he walked, showing that he had no intention of attack. The younger did not mimic the gesture, but the ranking shinobi of the team waiting for the brothers could see no sign of malice in his eyes, barely even a sign of caution. _Either they're both very skilled and sure of themselves, or they're fools. And they look an awful light like Aunt Mikoto did..._

"I am Uchiha Obito. May I ask your names, sirs?"

The two dark-haired men didn't answer until they stopped precisely six strides in front of the man who called himself Obito, who stood one of his own paces before his compatriats. "I am Uchiha Itachi, son of Fugaku. This is my brother, Sasuke."

_Not a trace of emotion in his voice, and his eyes are locked straight on mine... he says he's an Uchiha, and he carries himself like a Sharingan Master, but then... why is he looking at my eyes? Does he think he's just that much stronger than I am? _"I see. In that case, cousins, I welcome you to our camp."

The younger brother noticeably stiffened, though again, the elder made no visible reaction at all. "Come, enjoy what safety and hospitality we can provide for family in this dangerous area and time." Without another word or sign of hesitation, the leader of the group turned on his heel and began moving back down the rubble-strewn street as if he'd been doing it his entire life. The brothers let him get a few more paces ahead, then fell in step a distance behind him. When the two had reached the line of the other Uchiha's companions, they fell into step as one to flank the two. _And that is no mistake... 'cousins'_, Obito thought, smiling slightly as he led them toward the camp, _Uchiha or not, we can't trust just anyone... even if you _do_ look remarkably like my Aunt._

Behind him, he could just make out the younger brother's growling whisper, "Nii-san! Why do you act with deference? Are we not the children of the Clan Head? Did we not stay and defend our home when the others fled? What right do they have to place themselves over us?"

Obito didn't bother listening to the elder's reply- it didn't matter, anyway. The child wasn't faking his emotional outburst, of that he was certain. And that told him all he needed to know.

* * *

"Come on, Naruto, stop treating me like I'm a doll! _Hit_ me, or I'm gonna make you regret it!" Sakura yelled, glaring at the blond young man a few feet away. His stance was loose and relaxed, very unlike the stiff forms she'd been used to him using when he and Jiraiya left on their journey, but she was trained well enough to know that he was still holding back. And if there was one thing that Haruno Sakura would not- could not- stand for, it was someone she loved and respected holding her back because they were afraid she would be hurt.

"I'd listen if I were you, Naruto," Shizune said from the rear porch of the cabin, "She broke my arm in three places with one punch last time I took it easy on her."

Naruto smirked a little, turning his eyes toward his 'nee-san', but never taking his eyes of the warrior in front of him, "Yeah, Nee-san, but you don't have my healing ability, and you aren't as tough, either. Just like Sakura-chan! Neither of you could take me in a real match, probably not even both of you."

Sitting at the table in the cabin, Tsunade began to grin, while her white-haired old teammate cringed. "Gaki's really gonna get it now," the blond woman said before taking another sip of tea, "Sakura's better than Shizune was at that age- maybe better than Shizune is now, since she applies herself so much more."

Jiraiya shrugged, and answered in a low voice, "Maybe, 'hime, maybe. But Naruto's not... well, he's not the same as he was before. He _has_ been going easy on her, but... for the same reasons I think I could beat you in a fight even with your strength and medical jutsu, Naruto could probably take Sakura."

The old woman didn't bother to respond with anything but a snort, though she did turn her attention back to the window to watch as Sakura's composure began to crumble.

"You think I'm weak? Is that it? You must not remember 'cause you were still a baby boy, Naruto... when you and Ojii-san left, the clearing wasn't even _half_ this size. Who knocked the trees down and then ripped up the roots? _Me_. All I have to do is touch you- just once- and you're going _down_. Never underestimate me!"

Shizune cringed, fearing she'd spend the rest of the day healing Naruto's injuries, when she saw the gloved fist of her adopted little sister connect with the boy's jaw. However, instead of the sound of bone crunching, there was a soft 'pop', and then a quiet, low voice spoke from just behind the sudden cloud of smoke, "I know you're strong, Sakura-chan. Okaa-san and Shizune-nee-chan are strong too, and they wouldn't let you be weak. But I can't go all out against you... I never will be able to."

Knowing that she'd lost her cool and therefore had lost the match, Sakura spun and stomped into the cabin, where he heard, moments later, her bedroom door slamming shut, and then the sound of breaking glass.

"Sakura! That window's coming out of your allowance!" Tsunade called, her voice shaking with a combination of laughter and anger.

The two older shinobi turned back to their quiet conversation and the tea, and Shizune was about to head in and join them, when she noticed that Naruto still had not moved. He was standing a foot behind where he'd been before, the Shadow Clone he'd hid behind taking the hit for him. But he had left himself vulnerable to a secondary attack, if Sakura had chosen to take it, and that worried the brown-haired woman to no end. _Naruto... why would you let her do that to you if you know what she can do? What _happened_ on your journey to change you like this?_

She stood on the back porch for perhaps twenty minutes before she turned and went back inside, unsure of what to say or how to help the young man, unsure if he even wanted or needed help.

And still, the blond young man was standing, ramrod straight, in the practice field, his hands clenched at his side.

"Naruto!" Shizune called just after dawn the next morning, "Come on down to eat! Tsunade-sama wants me to go pick up some supplies, so I'll be gone for about a week. Come say goodbye!"

She turned back to the others, expecting to hear him yell for her to wait and then come thundering down the stairs to cram food into his mouth. Instead, there was no response.

After a little bit, she sat down with the others and they began to eat. Sakura and Jiraiya had both cleared a plate of the pancakes, and Tsunade had eaten a couple as well, before the brunette realized she just wasn't very hungry- or, if she were honest with herself, she was just more worried than concerned with eating. "Has... anyone seen Naruto since last night?"

A green, brown, and near-black set of eyes met hers, each one confused. "I... he stayed in the yard for a long time after... the match. He looked like he was... I don't know, thinking, or trying to decide something, or... I just don't know. I'm worried, but... I don't know why!"

Sakura's face changed at once from mild confusion and interest to a dull sadness and regret. Jiraiya, though, smiled. "Don't worry about it, Shizune. He's just at that stage. Trying to work things out for himself... and it's about time! A day didn't go by while we were gone that he didn't pester me for advice about _something_. Wasn't until we actually got back that he stopped."

Tsunade's brown eyes flickered to Sakura twice, then Shizune, to the Toad Sannin's, and then back to her plate before she said softly, "I can't feel his chakra in the house. Or anywhere within a mile. Will he... be okay out there, Jiraiya?"

The white-haired man snorted, "'course he will be. It's not like I haven't been training the brat. Relax, he'll come back when he's ready."

There was silence at the table for a minute, maybe a little longer, and sitting across from her mother-figure and sensei, only Shizune was able to see the look of rage that was slowly growing in the chocolate eyes.

"You _told_ him," the old woman half-roared, half-whispered, and at once, the man beside her jerked up and away from her, but did not escape her reach in time.  
"Now, now, calm down 'hime," he stammered, "It's not like I had much choice! The boy can _talk_ to the foul thing! I _had_ to tell him the whole story!"

Shizune spared a glance over to Sakura, who was staring at the older shinobi with wide eyes, no longer thinking about what she'd said to Naruto the night before. _It took me years to figure it out... what that poor boy carries. And when I did, I was so... so... but what will _Sakura_ think? I mean..._

Tsunade's trembling fist fell from beside her ear, as the fire went out of her all at once. "Did it... start to come loose?"

Jiraiya shook his head, half-relieved that her temper had started to abate, and half wishing she _had_ taken it out on him, "No... the Seal is as strong as it ever was. Something... happened, and the Gaki lost it, that's all... and ever since then, they've been talking. Having conversations... if you can call it that."

Sakura was too confused, too surprised, but these hinted-at revelations about her childhood friend and growing crush to respond, but Shizune, at least, kept her wits about her enough to ask softly, "Should we talk about this... later?"

What little fight there was left in Tsunade went with that question, and her left hand released her old teammate's haori. She answered without turning around to face her 'daughters', her head bowed as she stared somewhere around Jiraiya's navel, "No... Sakura needs to know now. I just... I'm not ready. Old man... can you..."

The tenderness in his voice spoke volumes when answered, calmly placing one large, strong hand on Tsunade's shoulder, "Of course I can. All you had to do was ask, 'hime."

The blond blustered for a moment, still not facing the other women, "Don't call me that, pervert!"

Even Sakura, distracted as she was by the recent conversation, did not miss the look of pain in the old man's eyes as he nodded, looking down at her master's face, "Sure, Tsunade."

He took a single deep breath, and when he looked up to meet Sakura's eyes, his own were hard as steel. "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this Cabin- not ever. The only person who has the right to give this secret out is Naruto. The only reason I agreed is because Naruto asked me to... he's not ready to tell you, either, but he wants you to know. It _never_ gets talked about without his permission. Is that clear?"

Sakura nodded, still confused, and Shizune agreed as well after his eyes went to hers.

"All right. Let's go into the other room, this one's not a good place for topics like this. I'll make some tea."

A few minutes later, Tsunade had composed herself, though Sakura could still see the slight redness around the woman's eyes. Jiraiya handed the last of the small porcelain cups to Tsunade before going to sit beside her. He stared down at the floor, seemingly counting the grains of wood for a long time before he began to speak.

"You know Naruto's birthday. It's October Tenth."

Sakura nodded.

"You also know the day that Konoha was destroyed."

She nodded again.

"And we've told you that the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon was destroyed by the Fourth Hokage, the leader of Konoha at that time."

Green eyes narrowed slightly, as Sakura's mind began to line up the pieces of the puzzle her father figure was bringing to mind.

"What we haven't told you... is that some of that tale is a lie."

Green eyes widened, then moved to meet her master's for a moment, before returning to Jiraiya's. _He's not lying... then... what does it mean?_  
"The Yondaime was not able to destroy a Spirit Creature, especially not one of such power. He tried, he, alongside his peers and Tsunade and I's former sensei, the Sandaime, fought for what seemed like days against the beast. In the end, we failed. Konoha was destroyed. The survivors, what few of them there were, scattered to the four winds. You were rescued from the ruins, from your mother's arms. If your hair color hadn't given it away, her face was still recognizable... she was one of Tsunade's best friends. You were... maybe six months old, at the time."

The man looked aside, and Tsuande nodded once without looking directly at him.

"Naruto, we already had with us. He was a newborn, still crying for his mother, and he was... the last child born in Konoha that survived. When the monster's tails swept through the hospital, the maternity ward was hit hardest."

The horror in both Shizune's and Sakura's faces was plain, and inwardly, the storyteller gave a secret sigh of relief_. Glad that distracted them. The last thing we need to tell them is about Naruto's parents before even _he_ knows._ "Anyway... a little while after sensei was... eaten... by the Kyuubi," Here, Sakura shuddered again, "the Yondaime made a last-ditch effort to stop the thing's rampage. He knew Konoha was lost, but he didn't want it unleashed on any other village, so... he gave his life up to Seal the Nine-Tailed Biju into a newborn baby boy."

The silence was deafening, for all of about ten minutes. Jiraiya spent the time watching as the final pieces of the puzzle fit together in Shizune's mind, and the enormity of what she'd learned about one of the only constants in her life shattered the entire way she looked at the world.

_She's in shock,_ Tsunade recognized_, but she's still able to think clearly. Good girl, Sakura._

"Is... is Naruto your birth-child, shishio? Ojii-san?"

The previous silence was certainly more profound, but much longer lasting.

Gut-wrenching laughter accompanied the older pair's refusal, but after a few moments, Sakura said quietly, "But... he's got blond hair like you, shishio, and it's spikey like Ojii-san's. He's tough, like both of you, and... and..."

Suddenly, it made perfect sense, to Tsunade at least, how she'd drawn that conclusion. But she still answered, "No, Sakura... I've never had a child, and while this pervert here has probably fathered hundreds, none of them are Naruto."

"But... how can you be sure?" the green-eyed young woman asked, looking back and forth between them.

Jiraiya snorted, "I know 'hime drinks a lot, but she would know if she's given birth. And as for me... I was close personal friends with Naruto's mother _and_ his father. I would never want to hurt either of them by... by fathering Naruto. Or at least... well, you know what I mean," he finished lamely, blushing slightly.

Tsunade's eyes rolled, "Shut up, Jiraiya. You're turning into a grave-digger. No," she continued, turning back to Sakura, "he's really not. Ku- I mean, Naruto's mother, really adored Jiraiya, but not like that. You see... Jiraiya is really Naruto's _Godfather_, and I am his Godmother."

Shizune snorted, and giggled when she saw all eyes on her. "I'm... sorry. It's just... I can't see Jiraiya-sama naming anyone 'Fishcake'."

The tension bled from the air at once, though the old man continued to rant for at least half an hour about how the boy he'd trained and raised his entire life was not named after fishcakes, but after a great ninja in a great book- a book he himself had written, and Naruto's parents had loved.

---

**AN2**: Two chapters down, X to go. :) No, I have no idea how long I'll keep this story going. I could, in theory, push it years and years beyond Shippuden, as my plot/premise is extremely open-ended. But I have no intentions of it being short. My other Naruto fic, _Late Blossoms_, is 164,500 words and 44 chapters long. This one could easily overtake it, if I let it. Then again... I may stop after 20, though I highly doubt it. After all, I like telling unique stories, and I've never heard of an AU like this. :)

Work progressing on chapter 3, it'll be up asap- and you can look forward to more from the Hyuuga, as well as snippets of why Obito, for one, is still alive.  
However, cookies to anyone who can figure it out. :D (And credits in a review, probably, which is not something I've done before)


	3. Chapter 3: A Dying Fire

**A/N:** Chapter 3, yaya! Here, we see the first meeting between Naruto's family and the survivors of Konoha. Some truths come to light, many more are hinted at, and a new promise is made- a promise of a lifetime. On a different note, I've got a poll up on my profile- a simple one. I'm just curious as to whether people would rather I continue focusing on this, or write more Bleach stuff in my "Not a coward" universe. (For those who've read my Tatsuki x Chad fic(s), it's that universe)

Don't own Naruto. Kinda wish I did, but... them's the breaks, I guess. Without further ado... here's

**Chap. 3** ** A Dying Fire**

It was starting to get cold, high up on the branches of the large tree, but Naruto didn't notice, much less care. Far above him, the half-moon slowly moved across the sky, and stars continued to twinkle, just as they had for eons. Here and there, a small, barely-visible cloud drifted lazily across the sky. The wind rustled the leaves occasionally, but it wasn't until the moon was getting close to setting that the young man stirred to look downward into the basin again.

At first, he couldn't reconcile the darkness with what he'd seen during dimming light of day. Where there had been white stone, small trees, but mostly rubble of wood and rock, some still smeared with blood after eighteen years, there was only blackness.

True, some places where the stone was it's most white reflected the starlight and moonlight enough to be visible from this distance, and he could see stars reflected in the lake-

… but in all the stories Jiraiya and Tsunade had ever told Naruto, they had never mentioned a lake in Konoha's immediate vicinity. In fact... the stars above were mostly white. Those stars were yellow and orange. _Bandits. But they'll never see me this far away, it's got to be three miles or more._

The boy stood, hesitating for a moment as he turned back the way he came, then returned to face the fires down in the valley below.

He nodded once with conviction, crossed the first two extended fingers of each arm before his chest, and whispered, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu". He spared a nod toward his doppelganger, then dropped from the tree to begin moving quietly toward the campfires.

* * *

"Naruto!"

The four of them had been eating breakfast slowly, and there was a general air of worry and concern in the kitchen as they went through their morning routine. Only Jiraiya seemed unaffected, though Sakura noted that he did seem to glance out whichever window was closest a little more often than normal.

When the cry went up, though, her eyes flew to Tsunade's, and then out the open front door to see the blond in question sprinting through the clearing, out of breath.

"Hi-" he started to say, then took a moment to pant before resuming, "Hi. Boss- the real me- has gone into the ruins. He saw some bandit fires, and... I think he went to clear them out. He wasn't real clear on what he was gonna do, but he told me to... tell you where... he was," the clone finished, still panting and looking pale.

But his complexion didn't match even the normally casual Jiraiya's.

"You are a clone of Naruto, not the original," Tsunade asked, receiving a nod. She continued, "And that idiot boy has gone to raid a bandit camp in unknown territory without backup."

Suddenly looking terrified, the clone nodded before starting to back slowly away from the blond woman.

But Sakura beat her master to the clone, and grabbed both sides of his collar in her fists, pulling the face into her own, before growling out, "Naruto- you'd better hope those bandits kill you. Because when catch up to you, I'm going to make this feel like a birthday cake."

And then she punched the clone in the gut so hard it hit a tree on the far side of the clearing before it had a chance to dissipate.

"Let's go," the pink-haired woman growled, spinning around on the balls of one foot to march into her bedroom and take up her combat supplies and medical kit.

Even Tsunade didn't dare argue with her.

* * *

"Hi."

Naruto couldn't decide what was more surprising- the look on their faces when he stood up and greeted the people eating breakfast around the campfire, or the look on their faces when they realized he'd walked right past their sentries.

In the end, he decided, it didn't matter. They were still trespassing on Konohagakure land. And they would not do so after today.

"Who... how did you get past the pickets? Who are you, boy?" asked a tall man with long, salt-and-pepper hair and a stern face.

"You can call me Spiral, for now."

The tanned older man's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but Naruto, mostly due to the long training Jiraiya had forced him into about always _watching_ people, didn't miss the instructions he'd given the group to surround the boy. "Good morning then, 'Spiral'. You may call me Fugaku. That, as you might guess, is my real name. Propriety would suggest that you grace me with your own, now that I have introduced myself properly."

The blond smiled, but his eyes were still cold. "You speak for this band?"

The older man nodded once.

"Get out of here. You have three hours to leave the ruins, before I begin to use force."

Behind him, two of the others snickered, but Fugaku did not react visibly, aside from answering, "I refuse. There are far more of us than you, and while it seems you show some skill, your overconfidence against an unknown and numerically superior enemy does not demonstrate your wisdom."

Naruto sighed, "You refuse, fine. The fact remains- in three hours I'm going to force you out of Konoha."

Beside the older man, another, younger man who looked a lot like him spoke up for the first time, "What does Konoha mean to you, boy?"

Naruto's eyes moved at once to the speaker's, "Your name?"

"Obito."

The blond nodded before returning his gaze to Fugaku, "Konoha is my home. I have been... absent... for an extended period, and now I come to reclaim it."

Obito visibly relaxed, though he was the only one to do so. Across the fire, Fugaku's eyes narrowed further. "What is your name, boy? We have a claim to live in Konohagakure ourselves, and we have kept detailed records of the families that lived there. It is possible we could avoid an... altercation, if you simply tell us the truth."

For the first time giving a sign that he knew the others were surrounding him, Naruto turned in a slow circle, counting the faces of those he could see. _Twenty-seven. Not good odds, even with shadow-clones. They aren't bandits, though. So maybe I should just let them stay for now... maybe._ "I am Uzumaki Naruto."

Fugaku gasped in obvious surprise, but Obito was the only other who reacted to the name at all. "You are the Carrier?"

Cerulean eyes narrowed at that, but Naruto nodded. Obito gestured the others to relax and stand down, but it wasn't until Fugaku nodded that they obeyed, still keeping a close watch on the boy.

"Come, Naruto. Sit with us," Obito invited, gesturing to a space next to him, "we haven't had news of others from Konoha since we crossed into Hi no Kuni. How many are in your clan?"

Naruto, not moving, snorted, "I have no clan. And you have still not explained who you are that I should believe your claims of right to be here."

Fugaku spoke in a calm voice, though his eyes were still rock-hard, "We are the Uchiha. I am currently the daimyo of the family. This is one of my cousins, Obito."

* * *

"Nii-san," Sasuke said when they had a moment alone at last, "why did we let them lock us in here? I don't understand."

The man with the lined face next to him waited a long while before answering, "I recognized the man in charge of the patrol that we ran into. He is our uncle, though I do not think he recognized us. We will wait a while so that they can discuss what to do with us, before we show them what will happen. Be ready, brother. It will happen fast when the time comes."

The eighteen-year-old Sasuke gulped once, nodded, and then settled down in front of his brother to meditate.

Fifteen minutes later, a cry of alarm was heard from a few hundred yards away, then was cut off in mid-scream with a wet gurgle.

The two brother's eyes flew open, each one a dark, glaring red, but neither moved just yet.

Again, another shout of danger and alarm, this one cut off by a female's battle-cry, and the sound of flesh against flesh.

The next noise to break the stillness was a cracking rumble that sounded as if the earth itself was screaming in pain. At once, the two brothers lept up from their knees and turned their backs to each other, eyes still glowing red. A swift movement from each of them released the other's bindings, and they assumed a combat-ready stance, facing in the direction of the screams.

* * *

"Naruto! What were you thinking? Going into an enemy camp by yourself!" As Shizune, the first to find the blond young man spoke, she launched another flurry of senbon from her arm-launcher, still dashing toward him.

He gave a small smile when he saw her, but didn't visibly react, because he was too busy trying to fend off the four Uchiha attacking him, each with their Sharingan active. Only the younger of the 'leaders', Obito, had not moved aside from to tell his cousin that he thought this was a bad idea.

"Silence, Obito! You don't know what you're talking about!" had been the only reply Fugaku had made, before lunging forward to attack.

The first blow had caused the blond boy to vanish in a puff of white smoke, and before the fifth of the attackers could recover, a kunai buried itself in his spinal column just above his shoulders- not deep enough to kill, but enough to paralyze the man for life.

It was just as that shinobi hit the ground with a grunt that the ground began to shake, throwing them all to the rubble below. Fugaku and Naruto were the first to recover, and the two exchanged blows with fists, knees, and feet for three seconds, a furious display of taijutsu, before Shizune appeared on the scene.

Moments later, Sakura and Tsunade appeared, each sending one of the shinobi with the Uchiha head-first into the ground with a powerful right hook.

Everywhere Naruto turned, there was more chaos, with his family fighting their way towards him, two more strangers with the same red eyes fighting more of the Uchiha to get away from the melee, until...

"_**Stop!**_"

The powerful voice made the ground quake and lifted dust from the area just like one of the Slug Sannin's most powerful earth-breaking hits. At once, the combat ended, though whether that was due more to the volume and power behind that command, or the sheer _presence_ of the being that commanded it.

Looking behind him, even Naruto was stunned. He saw a redish, wart-covered leg, the flat foot alone taller than he was. Craning his neck until it hurt, he could just make out the top of a head of long, spiked white hair of the man sitting atop the head of the gigantic toad.

"**Are these the ones your boy thought were such a threat, little Jiraiya?**"

Still too shocked to move, none of the combatants resumed the conflict when a deep, human voice replied from above the monstrous amphibian, "Think so, Gamabunta-sama. That's the blond gaki, down there by your left foot. Clear the area a bit, would you? I need to have a talk with the shrimp."

Great, horizontally-slit eyes rolled downwards, and with what was obviously a sneer, the foot nearest Naruto lifted with surprising speed and swept the area behind him clear of enemies. Only Fugaku had the speed to leap away.

"**There, little Jiraiya. Don't call me again unless you actually need me. You could have handled this rabble almost alone.**"

"True," the white-haired man said, jumping lightly down to meet his godson, "but you need your exercise. I shudder to think what Ma would say if I didn't walk my pet every once in a while."

Naruto's jaw dropped. _Gamabunta-sama... the Chief Toad? And the old perv is talking down to him like... like..._

"_**What**_**? Jiraiya, I'm gonna squash-**" But whatever the creature had been about to say or do, a quick release of chakra from the sannin sent the beast back to where it'd come from.

"Naruto... I think you know why I'm mad at you."

Sheepishly, the blond boy nodded and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah. Sorry."

The older man nodded once, his eyes still locked on the younger's, "But I don't think you know just how disappointed I am."

At once, Naruto's face fell. Instead of the slight mirth and excitement of battle, of seeing such a powerful technique from his sensei, there was suddenly shame so deep that he felt like he'd break. "Dis... disappointed?"

"Yes, Naruto. Disappointed. I taught you better than this. So did Tsunade."  
"H... hai."

Sighing, Jiraiya said, "We'll talk about it later. For now... we have some business to attend to, and reparations to make."

This last was said just loud enough for the cautious Fugaku to hear, and keep the still-fuming Sakura and Tsunade from resuming the battle on their own. "Everyone gather round," the white-haired man continued, "Sakura, Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto." And then, turning toward Fugaku, "You are the head of the Uchiha Clan?"

The stern man nodded once, still wary of Jiraiya's obvious power, though the older man was now quite clearly relaxed and in no mood for further conflict.

"I am Jiraiya of the Densetsu Sannin. This is Tsunade, her first apprentice Shizune, and her second, Sakura," indicating the three kunoichi, "and this is my apprentice, Naruto."

"I am Uchiha Fugaku." The olive-complexioned man said smoothly, his voice nor his eyes betraying any emotion. "I will speak with you, Jiraiya of the Sannin."

It took almost four hours for the mood around the newly-remade fire to calm enough that Naruto could bring himself to relax. Being surrounded, shoulder-to-shoulder and sometimes twenty deep by people he considered enemies until an hour or so ago did not help. Tsunade and Jiraiya had given a short version of their memories from the day of his birth, not mentioning that the Nine-Tailed Fox had not actually been destroyed by the Yondaime, or that it had been sealed into Naruto. For that, he was grateful. As well, the leader of the Uchiha gave a recounting of what had befallen their clan in the past eighteen years. How they had scattered to the four winds for a time, then slowly tracked down their family and rebuilt their numbers.

"and so," Jiraiya was saying, "the Konoha you remember is dying, if it's not dead already. There's nothing we can do about it. The other nations have had too much of our power for too long, and nothing we can do will get it back."

At this, the younger man sitting on Fugaku's eyes spoke up for the first time since Naruto had appeared in the midst of the camp, "I can't accept that! We can rebuild, we can-"

"Obito." His name alone, coming from Fugaku's mouth, silenced the younger at once, though he still glared daggers at Jiraiya.

_At least he's got some fire to him,_ Naruto thought, _even if he doesn't know where it should be directed yet. Half of these people will die in the first attack if we try and rebuild._

"Yes, we can rebuild. Yes, we can remake Konoha as strong as it was before it fell to that monster," Jiraiya replied calmly. Naruto didn't miss Sakura's eyes flickering to his own for a moment, half-filled with worry and half with fear. Whether that fear was for or of him, the boy could not tell. "but if we do, our enemies will align against us at once, and we will be crushed."

Obito stood, snarling, and stalked out of the light of the campfire. In his wake, the group of Uchiha listening in came back together as silently as they had parted.

"What do you propose, Jiraiya-san?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed just slightly, but he couldn't detect his sensei's shoulders becoming any more tense, as long years in his company had taught him they did when the old man was offended.

"I propose that we leave the old Konoha in the past. That we form a new, stronger Konoha- one that can stand against _all_ of the other nations, if needed. That we do so quickly, and in secret, so that by the time our enemies realize we are here, we are too strong to dislodge."

"How do we do that, I wonder?" Fugaku mused, taking his eyes off of Jiraiya for the first time, glancing down in to the coals and back up after only a moment, "I bring to the table thirty-six shinobi and seventeen kunoichi. Thirty-five of those are, at best, Genin-level. Perhaps twelve are Chunin. Myself, my cousin Obito, and the other older members of our family may be considered Jonin- I was the only survivor of that night to actually hold the rank."

No one needed to ask what night he was referring to.

"You have forgotten us in your accounting, I think," said a new voice from Naruto's left, near Sakura, "but I am not surprised. You thought I was dead until this morning, did you not, father?"

Something approaching real happiness entered Fugaku's face for a moment before he schooled himself again, "No... but I am glad to hear that I was mistaken, about both you and your brother. Make that another Jonin, my oldest son Itachi, and a particularly gifted one at that, and another of undetermined skill- my youngest son, Sasuke." The man's gesture drew Naruto's eyes to the speaker first, a pale man whose features resembled his father greatly aside from skin tone, and a slightly shorter boy his own age with the same pale complexion and a smooth, clear face. _That's why I've felt like I was being analyzed all night._ The boy's black eyes were staring unashamedly at Naruto, even as the blond looked back.

"We bring two Kage-level ninja, a Chunin or Jonin, and two others of Chunin skill- though their lack of teamwork and other skills leads me to put them at the Genin level."

Fugaku snorted, "And you think sixty shinobi of anything less than Kage-level can stand against the combined might of the shinobi nations?"

At this, Jiraiya's broad face broke into a wide smile, "You just heard me say that I spent five years wandering the nations with my apprentice. Do you really think that only the Uchiha and we had enough skill to survive that night? The remnants of the Hyuuga are entering Konoha's old borders as we speak. The Inazuka, Yamanaka, Nara, Aburame, and Akimichi clans still hold some of their border towns, and have kept them mostly safe from the predations of the other nations for years. Just because Konoha is destroyed, does not mean that Hi no Kuni is suddenly empty of civilians, either. And what we lack, we will barter, trade, or steal for- whatever it takes to get us back on our feet. We will regain our place as this world's greatest nation."

Fugaku spoke again, "And who will lead this group? You know as well as I that the old hatreds between Uchiha and Hyuuga can rekindle at any moment. As well, any sign of weakness in the other clans could lead those tempered by long years of hardship and betrayal to snap at the necks of their 'allies'. It will take a leader of immense strength, conviction, and force of will to do this."

_He thinks he's talking about himself,_ Naruto realized, _but he doesn't know what real strength is._

"We will leave that up to the Clans, when they begin to return. The next Hokage will be elected by the shinobi, much as they always have been," Tsunade said, her voice almost a growl, "and we won't have any more of that bullshit about civilians on the council, either. This new Konoha will be a ninja village- it will be run by ninja, not sniveling weaklings."

Across the fire, Fugaku nodded.

Jiraiya, rising, stretched before saying, "It's getting late, and we need to be getting home. We will come find you after we are ready to move from our sanctuary, Uchiha Fugaku-san."

The other man nodded, and the crowd began to slowly move away as the other members of Naruto's family rose as well.

"Did you mean it, Ojou-san?" Naruto asked as they each split up to their own bedrooms hours later. The women paused, each wanting to hear the answer to the unfinished question. It was something they had all been pondering... would they ever see their home reborn?

"Yes, gaki, I did. Konoha is dead or dying... and nothing will bring it back."

Sakura couldn't prevent the tears from suddenly welling in her eyes at the thought of the home she'd never even known being lost forever.

Hesitating a moment longer, Shizune took the final step into her dark room and shut the door, Tsunade and Jiraiya a moment later.

The young kunoichi looked at Naruto's devastated face for a long time, only moving when he finally was able to bring himself to turn the rest of the way into his own bedroom.

"N... Naruto," she called softly, "can you come out to the roof with me for a bit?"

He stopped, and she could see his throat work for a long time before he choked out, "S... sure, Sakura-chan."

The night was still, the sounds of the forest now so familiar to Sakura that she had to actually _listen_ to even hear the hooting of the owls. The only sounds she could really hear were her own heartbeat and Naruto's slow, labored breathing.  
She lay on one side of the angled room, her head right near the top, and he lay on the opposite side, his head close enough that she could feel his stiff hair brushing in and mingling with her own softer locks.  
He has said nothing for the hours they had lain there as the moon drifted further across the cloudless sky, but she knew, _knew_, that he was as awake and restless as she was. He was just having the same difficulty speaking as she was.

"I don't hate you, you know," she said at last, trying to broach the less-painful subject first.

Listening below, Tsunade thought, _It's a testament to your own strength of character that this is the less painful of the subjects you need to talk to him about, Sakura. I'm very proud of you- of you both, _before finally turning in for some much-needed rest.

His reply was a moment coming, "You probably should."

She rolled over at once to look at him over the top of the cabin, "How can you say that, Naruto? We grew up together. I've been your only friend most of your life. I still am, if you want me to be. Why would I hate you just because of that... that thing? That one little detail?"

He snorted, "Little detail? That little detail is the reason that we don't have a _home_, Sakura! That _none_ of those people we met tonight do! Or the hundreds I met with the old man!"

Almost unbidden, her right hand slid forward to grip his upper arm, "Naruto... that's absolutely right." His face fell for a moment, but she continued, her voice earnest, "it's that _detail_ that destroyed Konoha- not you. Has Tsunade-shishio, or Jiraiya-sama, or Shizune-nee-chan, or... have any of them ever even hinted that they didn't want you around? That they hated you? That they thought you were the Kyuubi?"

When he didn't reply after a time, she continued, her voice softer, but no less serious, "No, they didn't. They gave you the same love and care they gave me. Because you are _not_ the Fox. You are Naruto. My best friend, sometimes my brother, always an annoying little brat. You're... _kami, _Naruto... I don't even know what to say. What to feel... when you came back, all my memories of you became worthless, because you'd changed so much. But you are still _you_. A bit older, a bit less annoying, but... then I found out about this. And I know I'm rambling, and yes I'm a little afraid of you," he tensed further still, "but you're still my _family_. I'm not going to abandon you for anything. _Anything_. Do you understand?"

At the window beside Tsunade's, Jiraiya smiled and turned away, climbing into his own bed. _Good job, Naruto. Back for two-three days, and she's already falling for you._

"Do... do you mean it, Sakura-chan?"

Sniffling, she had to struggle to get out, "Yes, Naruto. Even if the whole world is against you, even if the old farts die and Shizune... well... even then, I would still stand by you."

He hiccuped once, and then was sobbing, tears running down his face. He curled his arms around himself and rolled over, bringing his knees to his chest. Confused, it took Sakura a second or ten to decide what to do- Naruto hadn't cried like this since he was four and announced, "Big boys don't wet the bed, and they don't cry!"

With a rustle that couldn't be heard over his cries, Sakura slipped over the side of the roof and lay behind him, pulling him close toward her. "Ssh, Naruto... let it out if you want, but don't cry too much. I'm here, and I'm not ever leaving you."

She thought he had fallen asleep like that, as the horizon to the east began to lighten. He had been silent for an hour or more, and his breathing had finally begun to calm, though he had hiccuped less than then minutes before, when he spoke. Half-alseep herself, she barely registered what he'd said until days later when he repeated the words, "I promise, Sakkura-chan... we're going to rise like a phoenix. Konoha may be dead, but the Will of Fire lives on. That's the promise of a lifetime."

---

**AN2**: Woot. Kind of a longish chapter, for me, but I couldn't just leave it with Jiraiya and the others leaving the Uchiha camp. That's where I'd planned to end it, and the rest sort of sprung out of my mind right as I hit 'save'. But I'm very happy with the fluffy end to this chapter, and it will flow that much better to the next. I was going to run something similar to this scene in a flashback much later, of their last night in the Cabin, but I like this version much better.

As always, please review if you have anything to say- anything at all. Good, bad, etc. I really would like your input. :)

No due date on Chap. 4, yet, but I would like to have it up fairly soon. We'll see. The meat of the story is going to be starting fairly soon plot-wise, and I tend to put up rapid updates when I get into it. (At least, that's what happens with most of my fics- and novels)

On a side note, many of you, I'm sure, have noticed and/or read some tales that sprung up from Perfect Lionheart's "Missing Hokage Challenge". I've had a few ideas on a story for that, one drastically different from most of them I've seen. It doesn't meet all of the criterion, so it probably won't actually work for the challenge, but it does most. Recently, I've read one story that's a little similar- but only the one out of about twenty. And even so, I came up with the idea on my own and they're still different enough, so I'm gonna run with it- after I get a good ways into this one. Or maybe complete it- by then the craze may have died down enough for mine to really stand out. :)


	4. Chapter 4: A Second Burst of Flames

**A/N:** Chapter 4, after long last. But it's almost a double-length chapter, so... no whining. :)

I haven't got a lot to say here, but I will mention this: I use a lot more Japanese terms than some other writers, and almost all of my Jutsu (original or otherwise) are written in Japanese as well. (Even if it is poorly translated)  
For those who need it, I'll be posting a glossary of new terms at the bottom in my 2nd AN. I will also repeat some of them a couple of times so you can memorize 'em. Enjoy the next chapter!

**Chap. 4 A second burst of flames**

Naruto wiped his sweating brow for what felt like the hundredth time that day and stood upright with a groan. It was back-breaking work, clearing the area of rubble. Even with Doton and other techniques to help them, in the end the most energy-efficient way to do it was by picking up each piece of stone, ripping out each long-ingrown weed, and throwing it into a nearby cart by hand. With a bit of regret, the teen mused, _Sure would be nice if we had one of those engine-carts like they have in Ame. But there's no way we could buy one, and it'd run out of fuel before we ever even got here._

With just the tiniest whimper, he twisted his back to the left, right, and back again before calling out, "ne, Sakura-chan! You about ready to call it a day?"

Looking over at his oldest friend, he suffered a pang of jealousy. While her chakra reserves would never be as high as he'd been born with, she, like her mentor Tsunade, had the ability to shatter just about any solid object with a single blow using a pulse of chakra. While it was exhausting in it's own way, the area Sakura had reduced to pebbles was six times as large as Naruto had done that day.

She looked up and called over, a hand at her mouth to aim the sound, "Just about! I'm gonna Doton these rocks under for some drain gravel, that's what Fugaku-sama wanted done here!"  
"'Kay!" he called, already a few steps in her direction.

When he reached her, she held up one finger, and holding her breath for a bit, suddenly cried, "Doton: Kaniere wa Tsuchi no Jutsu!" and flipped the other hand, which had been open with her palm done, over abruptly. As her hand flipped, the dirt and soil below the pebbles suddenly shifted across the twenty-meter circle she'd cleared, then sifted with the stones left by her rubble-making back onto the ground. Panting slightly, she bent a bit and rested her hands on her knees.

When Sakura looked up, still half bent, up at Naruto, she smiled to see him gazing around, wide-eyed. "Ne, Sakura-chan... how did you learn that jutsu?"

She gave a small laugh and replied, "A farmer in the town we get our supplies from showed it to Shizune one day. Said his father had taught it to him after a Konoha ninja taught him when he was a boy. It was the only jutsu he knew, but it sure does seem useful, doesn't it?"

Naruto grinned, returning his eyes to his old friend, "Yeah! I don't know what it'd do in combat, but for this? It's great!"

A bit recovered now, she stood and stretched much as he'd done earlier. After she'd returned to a full standing position with a groan, her hands rubbing at her lower back, the pink-haired kunoichi was surprised to see Naruto facing away from her suddenly, his ears a bright red.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?"

He jumped. "No, no, Sakura-chan. I just... have something in my eye!"

In a flash, she was around to his front, her green eyes gazing deeply into one of his own, then switched to the other. "Which one?"

Blushing further still, he shook his head and backed away, "No, I got it out. Thanks though, Sakura-chan! Hey... you wanna get dinner, now?"

She looked a bit confused at the sudden shift in topic, but shrugged it off. The blond had always been a bit short in attention-span. "Sure, I guess. The sun's about down anyway, I don't think we can get any more done today."

As they started walking back toward the Uchiha camp a mile or so away, Naruto asked after a while, with his hands held behind his head, "Don't see why we have to clear the Uchiha lands for 'em, anyway. Not like they're crappy ninja, they can do it themselves."

The girl rolled her eyes, and replied in a tone that expressed both her exasperation and understanding that she'd be explaining this for a week or more yet, "It's a gesture of goodwill, Naruto. We're mostly making up for _your_ bad first impression. You beat the crap out of six of 'em, and we had to beat up five more to get to you. If you'd just waited for us, we could have let them meet us in a _friendly_ way."

"But, Sakura-chan! How was I supposed to know they were supposed to be here?!"

She slapped her forehead. "Naruto... _I_ knew they were Uchiha. The fan symbol on their stuff? … wait. You didn't pay attention at _all_ to the history lessons shishio gave us?"

He pinked again and turned away so she couldn't read his lips, and mumbled softly, "I paid attention... to like, the wars and stuff. Mostly."

Sakura just sighed and kept walking.

_Beats me how a baka like him got so damned strong. Maybe Jiraiya-sama really _is_ stronger than Tsunade-sensei. … naaa..._

* * *

"Hey," Shizune said excitedly, plopping herself down on a log next to Sakura, "did you guys hear? The Uchiha scouts report there's a caravan full of ninja or warrior-monks heading straight for us. They think they might have heard the prophecy, too! More allies for us!"

Sakura grinned widely, looking over at Naruto. Her eyes widened when his own face fell.

"They could be enemies, too."

The older woman, still smiling, replied, "Could be, of course, but Tsunade-sama says they're most likely allies. She seemed to know something about them, but wouldn't tell me what or how she knew. The only clue I got was her grumbling about those 'arrogant, white-eyed pricks'. Does that mean anything to you guys?"

Across the fire, the only Uchiha who would associate more than was necessary with the two teens looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Shizune-san," he said, "I need to go talk to my uncle. If they are the Hyuuga... he will not be pleased that it's just us and them back so far. We may need the Sannin just to keep them- or us- from attacking the other group."

The medic looked confused. "Obito-san... why would they attack you? Or you, them?"

Obito looked down into the coals for a moment, and his eyes were hard when he looked back up at the other three, "My family and the Hyuuga have a long history of animosity. Ever since Uchiha Madara developed the Sharingan from his own, bastardized and weakened version of the Byakugan that the Hyuuga possess, our families have been at odds- sometimes violently."

All three of the other ninja paled. After a moment, Shizune stood and asked firmly, "Obito-san, would you come with me, please? I'd like to report this to Tsuande-sama."

The other glanced once at the remains of his dinner, then rose at once. "Of course."

After the two older ninja had left, Naruto said in a voice so soft Sakura, just a foot away, could barely hear over the talking in the distance and the sound of their own fire, "See? More fighting, and just when we were starting to get peaceful with the Uchiha."

Sakura didn't know what to say.

* * *

Atop the high, wide hill stood one of the largest individual gatherings of ninja that Hi no Kuni had seen for eighteen years. Representing the Uchiha were Fugaku, the clan Patriarch, Obito, his younger cousin, and both of Fugaku's recently-reunited sons, Itachi and Sasuke. Two of the legendary Densetsu no Sannin, Senju Tsunade and Jiraiya, the Toad Seijin, and their three apprentices stood in the center, with the Uchiha leaders on the left. On the right stood a single man, taller than any of the others there except Jiraiya, who seemed to match him, aside from the white-haired man's spiked hair. This other man had long, straight brown hair and wore a white traveling yukata, dusty and dirty from what appeared to be a very long journey.

The mass of Uchiha gathered below the hill, thirty meters or more from the group on top of it, were restless as they watched the larger group converse with the other man.

"What's he saying, Ototo-san?" one small boy asked, looking up at an older man who had an active Sharingan, reading the lips of the single man.

"Never mind, Tsuji. I'll tell you later."  
On the boy's other side, a woman with jet-black hair like her son and husband's looked over at him, her lips drawn into a thin line.

* * *

"I am sorry, Uchiha-san," the newcomer was saying, softly and with a measured voice that each of those atop the hill could hear, but would not carry past the light breeze to the crowd below, "I cannot accept that. The Hyuuga have as much right to be here as you do. Like you, we have been members of Konoha since it's founding. We will not accept these terms."

The olive-skinned man scowled, and replied, "So be it. Clear off, then. If you won't do your part to help the whole, then-"

"Enough."

Each of the ninja started, for one reason or another. The Uchiha, mostly because they were surprised someone would dare interrupt their clan head. The newcomer, because he had not been expecting that affrontery either- except maybe from himself. Naruto, Sakura, and Shizune were surprised simply because the ones they had expected to interrupt with that word had _not_ been the ones to do so.

Instead of Jiraiya or Tsunade calling an end to the other man's refusal, it was his eldest son, Itachi.

"Hyuuga-san," the man continued without giving his father a chance to speak without interrupting him in turn, "On behalf of at least two Uchiha, I welcome you to our new start. I believe it is time we set our differences aside, and worked for the common good. If my father continues to disagree, I would be happy to show your family a place where they may set up their homes away from the remainder of the Uchiha."

Shocked beyond the ability to form complete sentences, Fugaku could only snarl while the newcomer turned and gave a swift, low bow to the younger Uchiha, and then to the Sannin. "A most gracious offer, Uchiha-san. I don't believe it will be necessary, but should it become so, or our ancestral lands not be suitable for rebuilding, we will take you up on it."

Jiraiya was the next to speak, smiling a wicked grin, "Ah, good. It's so nice to see more of our allies returning, isn't it, Fugaku-san? The Hyuuga are very powerful close-range fighters, if I remember right. Even more powerful than your own family, no?"

Ignoring the older man, the Uchiha clan head glared knives and kunai at his eldest son before stalking away to the crowd of Uchiha below.

Tsunade sighed, and spoke, "Hyuuga Hiashi, I would like to welcome you as well. There isn't cleared room yet for a group of your size, so I'm afraid we'll have to wait on setting up a temporary camp, but-"

"That will not be necessary, Senju-sama," the man replied, "my family has become well-practiced at setting up a camp in nearly any terrain. Within an hour we should be ready to begin scouting and clearing our old lands."

After he had walked back down the hill away from the crowd to his own gathered people, Jiraiya turned to Naruto and Sakura, saying, "Why don't you two kids head back to the cabin for a good night's rest? I have the feeling that things are going to start heating up, and not just between these two Clans. If people realize we're starting to gather... you'll need your strength."

"But, Jiijii-" Naruto said, but was interrupted by Sakura.

"Sure thing, Jiraiya-sama," she said, "I'm sure you're right. I hope it doesn't interfere with the rebuilding._ Come along_, Naruto!" before dragging the young man away to the south by his arm, still protesting.

Tsunade, watching the Hyuuga leader confer with his senior family members for a few minutes, asked quietly after the younger two were out of earshot, "So the Uchiha and Hyuuga have both staked out their old lands. It's going to be difficult to stop this if we let it happen again, Jiraiya. Your plan could fall apart at this rate."

"I know, 'hime," he replied, his own voice low but level, "but those are the last two of the major clans with any real numbers. The Sarutobi are down to just a few, your own clan... well, even the Hatake and Morino aren't too large any more. And my spies tell me the Akimichi is the next biggest family, and they only have fifty-two ninja. Below them is the Inazuka, at thirty even. I don't see why we can't let them build a little compound... we just need to make sure they keep interacting, instead of shutting themselves up like they did before."

* * *

For her part, Hyuuga Hinata, elder daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, the Clan Head, had always been something of an oddity in her clan. Where most of them were, or at least, had been, renowned for their ability in close combat, she was average, at best. For an heiress, that simply would not do.

Where most Hyuuga were assertive, strong-willed, even wandering under a guise of penniless traders as they had done for nearly a generation, she was soft-spoken, if she spoke at all. There were some relatives of the girl who had never, in her seventeen years, heard her speak at all. Given the slightest provocation, she would cave under the pressure, allowing anyone to walk all over her and her own wants. Of course, if she had any, no one really knew about them because the girl simply couldn't seem to bring herself to say so.

That being said, in many ways, she was the perfect picture of an heiress. Or, at least she appeared to be to one Uzumaki Naruto.

"She's... beautiful..." he practically sighed, and Sakura glanced over at him to see his eyes half-lidded and glazed, a dorky half-smile on his face, accompanied by pink cheeks.  
"Naruto," she said sternly, "stop gaping at the girl. I guess she's pretty enough, but that's no reason to stare."

The blond beside her gave a jerk, then looked sideways at his friend sheepishly, "Sorry about that, Sakura-chan. Just... surprised me, that's all."

The pinkette rolled her eyes and took his elbow, urging him toward the girl in question, who stood bashfully next to her father, "Let's go say hello. Since she's probably going to be studying with us when we get the Academy up and running, it wouldn't hurt to say hi now. And who knows... maybe she'll even be able to put up with you long enough for a date!"

"But Sakura-chan! You know you're-" he began, but the young woman pushed him toward the dark-haired beauty with enough force to send him sprawling before he could finish the statement, her own cheeks a bit pink now.

"Hi," Sakura said a moment later, offering a hand to the slightly younger girl, "I'm Haruno Sakura, the second apprentice of Senju Tsunade-sama. This," gesturing to the boy a half-step behind her, still picking himself up with a groan, "is Uzumaki Naruto, apprentice of the Toad Sage, Jiraiya."

"I- I... umm... I'm- H-H-Hyu-" the girl stammered, her cheeks turning a bit red as she watched the boy before her stand and brush himself off a bit before looking up at her with a wide grin.

"Stop stuttering, Hinata!" her father commanded sternly, "It's not befitting for you. Speak up, or don't speak at all!"

Shizune, the one to whom Hiashi had been speaking, darkened her eyes a bit at hearing the other man's cruel words to his daughter, but said nothing when he returned his attention to their conversation. Naruto, though, couldn't help but do so. "Hey, that's no way to speak to your daughter. So she's a little shy, what's wrong with that?"

Hinata and Hiashi both stiffened noticeably. The female took a half-step backward, running into the wagon behind them, while Hiashi paused mid-sentence, then slowly turned his head to stare into Naruto's eyes. "What right do _you_ have to tell _me_ how to speak to my own child?" he asked coldly.

Unabashed, the blond stared right back up at the older man, even shaking off Sakura's calming hand on his shoulder, "I have every right to defend my friends, even from you. It ever occur to you that maybe she's so timid because you're such an ass to her?"

"Ano-" the indigo-haired girl began to speak, her eyes wide with growing panic, the barely-visible pupils flashing back and forth between the two men.

Before she could finish her sentence, though, Sakura interrupted, "He didn't mean anything by it, Hyuuga-sama. Please forgive him," and then bowed deeply, attempting to force Naruto to do the same with a hand at the back of his head.

He didn't budge an inch.

"Oh, I meant something by it, Sakura-chan. It's people like him that made Konoha so weak it crumbled just 'cause of the damned Kyuubi. It's not so tough, but an entire village of ninja couldn't handle it and were almost wiped out in one night. They were so weak afterwards they didn't last a year. Because of people like _him_."

Through this tirade, Hinata's panic went from mild to full-on, passing-out. Sakura could see her eyes start to roll slowly back, and her face pale as she swayed. Her father, though, seemed livid, despite his careful mask of nonchalance.

Shizune, knowing full well what Naruto was getting at, and agreeing with him, decided, _I'll only intervene if they exchange blows. Hiashi needs this as much as Hinata does... and besides, Naruto's right._

"Boy, you have no idea what you're talking about," the elder Hyuuga said, voice carefully modulated, "my daughter has always been shy, yes, but she needs to learn to get over it if she's going to take over our Clan when I retire. This is, in it's own way, training. I would have thought, a day ago, that your masters would have taught you something about etiquette and protocol when speaking to your betters. But apparently I was mistaken, and you need to be taught some remedial lessons."

Shizune's only thought was, _crap._

Naruto, though, while he seemed surprised at the sudden turn of topic, did not seem afraid. "Sure, old man. If you think you've got what it takes to take on the student of a Sannin, I'll let you 'train me' all you want. Time and place?"

Hiashi thought about it a moment, and answered, "One week from today. At the old site of the Hokage Tower. It's mostly clear, and will provide plenty of room for you to run, and a bit of cover to hide behind."

The thinly-veiled insult, again, did not go unnoticed by anyone present. Naruto, though, his eyes narrowed, didn't seem to react much. Instead, he only replied with, "Use whatever technique you want. Kill me, if you think you can. But if I win, if I knock you out or make you forfeit, you stop treating Hinata so bad."

"And if I win," Hiashi answered at once, "you never speak to me or my daughter again. And if you are forced to by circumstance, you comport yourself with the utmost respect around my entire family."

"Deal."

Naruto gave a final nod to Shizune and Hinata, then spun on his heel and began stalking directly toward his tent, half a camp away. Sakura, hot on his tail, didn't register the slight _thump_ of Hinata hitting the ground any more than her childhood friend had.

* * *

"Boy, you really know how to stir things up, don't you?" Jiraiya asked, as the surrogate family sat around a campfire that night.  
Naruto gave a cheeky grin, and Tsunade said after seeing it, "It's not a laughing matter, Naruto. I knew Hiashi before you were born, and he was always one of the strongest Hyuuga. He's going to flatten you tomorrow. You'd better apologize first thing."

"No," was the younger blond's only response.

"But, Naruto," Shizune said in a pleading tone, "you don't stand a-"

"Shut it, Shizune-nee-chan," the boy commanded with a glare.

_What the... Naruto _never_ talks like that to me!_

"Naruto," Sakura said calmly, causing his glare to shift to her at once. She raised her hands placatingly, and continued, "don't take out your worries on Shizune. She's just worried for you, like we all are. One of these days your big mouth is gonna get you in real trouble."

His glare vanished at once, replaced by a soft, half-terrified half-confident look as he stared into the fire. "I know. I'm sorry... but I just can't stand by and watch people get treated like they're dirt. I can't help but think what things would be like if people had known I was the Kyuubi's container years ago, back before I could take care of myself. I might have... I'm sure I would have ended up just like her."

The three older ninja shared a collective sigh, before Jiraiya stood and said calmly, "You can beat him, Naruto."

Even Tsunade was surprised, but none more so than Naruto himself. Praise from Jiraiya was extremely uncommon, but to hear a vote of faith and confidence from him was unheard of. "Ero- I mean... Ojii... How am I gonna do it, though? My Taijutsu's nothing special, and he's a pro!"

The evil glint in the old man's eyes made Sakura shudder, and Naruto smile. As he explained the plan, the eyes of everyone present began to crinkle as they smiled. _This will totally work_, Sakura thought.

* * *

At noon the next day, what seemed like the whole gathering of Konoha's exiles, including the stragglers from the Hyuuga caravan, and a few each of the Inuzuka and Akamichi clans, scouting for their families to verify the rumors of the other's return.

The area set aside for the duel wasn't terribly large. Naruto had, in fact, cleared the few remaining bolt-holes away over the course of the week by himself, leaving it a flat, featureless circle about fifty yards across. As he walked out towards the center of the ring to where he'd drawn too lines in the sand, he could hear a multitude of whispers from all around him, but only a few voices broke through enough to pay attention to.

"_-brat's gonna get hammered by Hiashi-sama, Neji. Just you watch._" That one was a Hyuuga man who looked just like the one standing a dozen feet from him, directly across from Naruto as he took his position.

"_uto be all right, Tsunade-shishio?_ Sakura-chan.

"_on't hurt him badly, ototo-sama. He didn't mean any harm by it."_ That was Hinata-chan, her voice quiet but still audible despite the murmur of the crowd.

But it was the man's reply to his elder daughter that really struck home, _"maybe I should teach you a little respect as well, daughter. This lesson needs to be learned- I suggest you pay attention so I don't have to do the same to you at another date."_

Running the strategies imparted by his sensei through his mind at a furious pace, Naruto began to stretch as he waited for the older man to walk toward his own circle and begin his own pre-fight routine.

It took six minutes for the three remaining elders, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Fugaku, to decide which of them would be refereeing. Tsunade had argued that she would be closer if either needed medical attention. Jiraiya had said much the same, but expressed concern over his pupil. It was Fugaku's calm insistence that, if a miracle should happen and Hiashi lost the duel, the Hyuuga might claim that either Sannin were showing favoritism that won out his position, despite Tsunade mentioning that the same could be said in reverse- it was no secret that Fugaku particularly disliked Hiashi.

In the end, though, it was the dark-featured man who walked to the circle's center and glanced at each of the combatants before saying in a voice that silenced the crowd at once, "The purpose of this duel is to satisfy a disagreement between Houses Hyuuga and Uzumaki. The clan's champions have agreed to the terms set forth before the duel, and will abide by the result. The terms thereof will be announced at the duel's conclusion. Fighters, are you ready?"

Both Hiashi and Naruto nodded.  
Fugaku took a step backward, raising an open hand to where he'd been standing between the two, then dropped it with a yell of, "_Hajime!_" leaping backwards as he did so.

Sakura's heart dropped somewhere into her stomach when she saw Naruto rush forward, a hand cocked behind his shoulder in an obvious, and foolhardy, move against a Hyuuga.

For his part, Hiashi took a half step back, falling into a standard Jyuuken stance, Byuakugan active.

The kunoichi could only think, _at least he's worried enough to activate it now... though it'd be better for Naruto if he hadn't._

Predictably, Naruto was thrown ten feet or more by the other man, who'd grabbed his wrist at the last moment and flipped it over, taking the smaller and younger ninja with it, then releasing him a moment later to fly across the ring.

The crowd began to chuckle as the blond hit the hard-packed dirt with a loud thud, then silenced as the jumped back to his feet, grinning. "Didn't really think that'd work. Just had to see your reach."

Fugaku gave a small grin, he knew for a fact that the Uzumaki boy was holding back. _After all, he used Shadow Clones against us, and beat more than a few of us to a pulp before he friends showed up. Hiashi, you'd better take him seriously. On second thought, better not. I'd like to see you taken down a few pegs._

For ten minutes or more, the fight continued in much the same fashion. Naruto would charge in with one attack or another, some clumsy and some not, and Hiashi would turn him aside with a minimal effort, or, worse, counterattack with a soft blow that nonetheless sent Naruto reeling- for a few seconds, at least.

The sun was starting to move past it's zenith, when one of the Hyuuga called out, "may as well stop toying with the kid, Hiashi-sama. It's clear you can't lose now."

The clan head didn't react visibly, but Naruto's next attack was countered with a jyuuken strike instead of a normal, chakra-less blow. The blond grunted as his knee hit the ground, then all the air in his lungs was forced out as blow after blow rained down on his stunned body, a finger or two of the other man's crashing into him with all the power of a feather and all the force of a brick.

"... sixty-four palms. You are finished, Uzumaki. Surrender now, before I am forced to incapacitate you or ruin your career as a shinobi." Hiashi stepped back two full paces to give the boy room to collapse.

But Naruto did no such thing. He swayed on his knee, even had to put one hand on the ground to steady himself, an act that made every Hyuuga gasp in surprise, even Hiashi, but he did not fall.

_Impossible. His tenketsu are completely closed. I can _see_ it. How can he still even open his hand, much less stay upright?_

But as Naruto's eyes closed slowly, as if he were falling asleep, he smiled. "Just need one sec to catch my breath..."

And then, exactly a second later, the Hyuuga all gasped again as the boy's closed tenketsu flared with a blinding white-blue chakra, and he jumped to his feet again, ten feet further back. "I knew I couldn't beat you in a Taijutsu fight, Hyuuga-chan," Naruto mocked, "But I'm not a Taijutsu type, even though I like it. I'm like my sensei."

Fugaku's eyes widened in surprise and glee. _This is what I've been waiting for. He's not going to hold back any more. Get ready to lose, Hiashi!_

"These eyes of mine see _everything_, boy. Hasn't it occurred to you that I know your plan by now? 'Wear out the older man, lull him into a sense of security over your weakness, and then surprise him with a powerful jutsu and take him out', was it? I assure you, that plan has already failed, whether you know it or not."

The blond's eyes narrowed further. _Kuso, how did he know? Damn it- oh, right. The White Eye. Well... let's see if his 'perfect defense' can stand up to my 'ultimate attack'. But first, I'd better see if he can even do it..._

"Right, right. You're a big, bad Hyuuga clan head. You're so badass that you have to tear down your daughter all the time. I remember. But this is one kid you are never, _ever_ going to beat."

Sneering, Hiashi stepped back into his stance and reactivated his Byakugan.

"Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Naruto cried. As the thin fireballs swarmed toward the older man, he was relieved to see the Hyuuga suddenly expel chakra from his entire body and enter into a rapid spin. The dome annihilated every flame that came into contact with it at once.

When the spin ended a moment later, Naruto was smiling even wider.

"Yeah, I can get through that. It's just chakra, right? Shape manipulation from your whole body. A good jutsu, really. But it's too wide to stop me."

He didn't register the sounds of surprise from everyone except Jiraiya. After all, even Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura didn't know exactly what move the kid would- or could- do to pierce that barrier.

Again, Naruto rushed forward, arm behind his shoulder just as he'd done in his initial attack of the duel.

This time, though, Hiashi knew better than to underestimate him. Without knowing what type of attack was coming, though, he had no choice but to repeat the Kaiten.

When the larger sphere of chakra met the much denser, much more quickly rotating, much stronger, and much, _much_ more concentrated sphere of chakra in the Uzumaki's hand, the explosion threw every member of the crowd back into those behind them. Fugaku, by far the closest, went sailing into the mass of people behind him, and even Jiraiya and Tsunade, powerful as they were, were knocked on their backsides.

When the dust cleared, Naruto, bloody and scraped by the flying dirt and debris kicked up by the twin spirals of chakra, was on one knee beside the older man, a hand at his neck, grinning widely. At first, the Hyuuga began to murmur, "He's going to kill Hiashi-sama! Someone stop-"

Then Naruto called out to Tsunade, "Hey, baa-chan! He's pretty beat up, but he's got a pulse. You wanna come take care of it?"

At once, the legendary medic, accompanied by her older apprentice, returned to their feet and rushed toward the fighters.

Naruto shook off Shizune's attentions after only a moment, before standing and staring out over the recovering crowd.

"You lot better listen, and listen good. We had this little fight 'cause Hiashi-chan was treating his daughter bad. That doesn't fly with me. Konoha was weak because we didn't help each other. We just fought, and tore each other down, and tried to make ourselves stronger at the expense of our allies. Well, that's bullshit, I say. And it's not gonna happen again."

The crowd was, for the most part, silent. It didn't escape their notice that the boy was mostly glaring at the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, but spared a bit for everyone- even Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"A while back, my sensei told me that Konoha was dead. I agree- it is. We're never going to bring it back, 'cause it failed.  
"I say we start a new Hidden Village, instead. Right here, right now."

At first, there was only silence. Was this kid even serious? Sure, he was tough enough- and smart enough- to beat a powerful head of a powerful clan, but... start a village? Did he expect to lead it, or something? At his age? Was he even eighteen?

"Ootorigakure no Sato is going to be a place where people don't treat each other like crap. Where anyone can live and be happy. Where everyone you see is a friend, and there are no enemies."

"You think you can make that happen, kid?" one of the Uchiha called out.

Naruto nodded, "Not just me. Everyone. We all know I'm right, that we _have_ to do this, or we won't survive the first time we get attacked by Kumo, or Kiri, or Iwa... hell, even Ame or Kusa could probably take us down right now without a fight. So we have to stand together, or we don't stand at all. That's what Ootori is all about. Coming back from the dead _better_ than we were before."

It took a long time for the conversation to wind down, but Sakura spent the three or more hours in silence, watching her best friend. _He's not even trying, and he's got the crowd totally convinced. Ten minutes in, the last holdout gave up. I know they don't want some stupid kid taking over, and I can see why, but don't they see it? He's already in charge, no matter who they make the leader. These people would follow him anywhere- even the Hyuuga, except maybe Hiashi._

---

**AN2**: Longest chapter yet, for this story at least. 8+ pages single-spaced. I haven't got a lot to say, except that now we're seeing some of the politics and relationships between clans come into play, and getting hints of more showing up. Story-wise, it won't be long until all the major players are here, but at the same time, the story is just beginning.

Glossary: This is the biggest one I'll be doing, since I'm covering a lot of bases. I won't be repeating a lot of names and whatnot. Names not in the glossary are not important to the story. (I will probably be doing so with new characters, though, so you know a bit about them that isn't told in the story itself)

**Doton**; Earth Release/Technique. Most manga-readers or people who watched subbed anime should know this by now.

**Katon**: Fire Relase/Technique.  
**Suiton**: Water.

**Fuuton**: Air/wind.

**Raiton**: Lightning.

**Ikazuchi**: Lightning; synonymous with Raiton. I prefer the 'ton' version, and will mostly be using that- Ikazushi is an older term meaning, more accurately, Lightning Strike, so it doesn't really fit a tech that well.

**Ame**; Rain. Specifically, Amegakure, the Hidden Rain. It's an industrialized nation, in the manga it's shown to look like a neo-New York from the pre-computer age. Tall, nearly sky-scraper like buildings crowded together, smokestacks everywhere, etc. Lately it's dominated by a massive god-statue thing where Pein makes his base. (This is not known in the story yet)

**Chakra**; The energy source ninja use to power their techniques, ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu. (or other). It's created by all living things, but a ninja is trained to utilize it and make more of it than other things. If you don't know at least some of this, you probably should go watch the anime before reading this. At the least.

**Kaniere wa Tsuchi**; a Justu of my own devising. It literally translates to "Tilled Earth", and does exactly that. Probably won't be seeing a repeat, though I will imply it once more I'm sure.

**Uchiha;** One of the original founding clans of Konoha. They have a long rivalry with the Hyuuga, their parent line. Unlike in the canon story, Itachi has not massacred the clan- the Kyuubi did most of that for him. Nor was he even ordered to, since the attack had not even been planned yet. The clan is still somewhat estranged from Itachi and Sasuke, though, since it was the older that raised the younger, not their father.

**Shishio;** lit. "Master", as in "master and apprentice". A term of respect both more formal and more personal that sensei.

**Tsunade; **Last of the Senju clan, the clan of the first two Hokage, including Konoha's founder. (Shodaime) A world-famous, legendary medic-ninja, the only things she's more famous for are her bad luck and love of gambling, and her temper and strength when she loses it. Very well-endowed, blond, and looks much younger than she is. Shizune, in fact, looks (and acts) older by about three years.

**Shizune**; Unknown family, niece of Dan, Tsunade's first lover. She was a young teen (if my math is right) when the Kyuubi attacked, and fled with her new master and the two babies at that time. Has lived in solitude most of her life with Tsunade, though she has had some interaction with people in nearby villages. Personality is very similar to canon.

**Jiraiya; **Self-proclaimed Super Pervert, Toad Sage of Mount Myobokun, etc etc. He likes gambling, sake, and women, in ascending order. The only things he likes more are Naruto and Tsunade- in no particular order there.

**Hyuuga;** Another of the former great clans of Konoha. In terms of political clout they were the closest thing Konoha had to royalty, though the Uchiha bested them in numbers and might at the time of the Kyuubi's attack. They have spent the last seventeen years running a trade caravan along a route around the continent, making some profit, but mostly keeping in touch with allies wherever they had fled. Their only 'official' allies are the refugees from Wave that have fled to Neck country. (South of Kumo)

**Obito; **Fugaku's oldest living blood-relative, second in command of the Uchiha. A compassionate man, he strongly disagrees with many of Fugaku's decisions, but abides by them anyway. On the day the Inuzuka representatives arrived, two Kunoichi named Rin and Hana, he immediately took a liking to the older woman, and hasn't been attending to much of his clan duties recently.

**Madara;** Another of Konoha's original founders. Said to nearly equal the Shodaime, Senju Hashirama, in strength. The remains of his statue are still recognizable, alongside his foe-and-ally in the Valley of the End.

**Sharingan;** The Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha. "Three Swirls Eye", or something similar. It grants minor precognition, allowing it's possessor to analyze muscle movements, and electrical and chakra pulses to predict what movement an enemy is taking, thereby predicting attacks, defenses, and even in some cases the ability to copy jutsu. A very potent ability for genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu. Said to be the strongest bloodline in the world.

**Kekkei Genkai;** "Bloodline Limit". In canon, explained to be a combination of two or more elemental affinities in one. As an example, Haku's affinity for wind and water let him use the ultra-rare Hyoton (ice) Jutsu. Other abilities, such as the Sharingan and Byakugan, are also Kekkei Genkai, but it is yet unclear what kind (if any) of elemental affinities are used in them.

**Fugaku; ** Clan Head of the Uchiha. Father of Itachi and Sasuke, uncle of Obito. A stern, commanding man. Likes to be in charge.

**Densetsu no Sannin;** "Three Sage Ninjas". Refers to the students of the Sandaime, "Professor". Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya. A term of respect granted by the former leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander. (easily a Kage-level ninja)

**Seijin; **Sage. Also Sennin. Sennin and Sannin are NOT the same terms- Sennin means "Sage Ninja", Sannin means "Three Ninja". Seijin, specifically, refers to a 'sage of something'. Ie, Toad Sage.

**Itachi;** Elder son of Fugaku. A very powerful shinobi, specializing in Genjutsu uses of his Sharingan. Trained Sasuke. Before the Kyuubi attack, was a full-on ANBU agent at a very young age, showing super-genius skills. Despite his Genjutsu type, he is skilled enough in all types of ninja arts to train Sasuke, another genius, completely and well.

**Senju;** The clan of Tsunade, the Shodaime, and Nidaime. Nearly died out, and as Tsunade is past childbearing age, it will die with her. The First (and some others before him) could use Wood-Element jutsu (combining Earth and Water), but the ability has not been seen since. The Shodaime was also famous for being able to control Bijuu using his Mokuton powers. (Wood Element)

**Yukata; **A kind of informal/evening kimono. Mostly used during festivals in real life, they are also worn often during the summer, as they are single-layer as opposed to many-layered like Kimono. Similar to martial arts gi, except one-piece with a sash.

**Ototo; **Father. Possibly "little brother". Drawing a blank on this, and too lazy to check.

**Ojii;** Also 'Jiijii' "Old Man", informally, formally, "Grandfather".

**Obaa;** Grandmother. Baa alone is less formal.

**Onee;** Sister. Onee is more formal or for older sisters, nee is less formal or for little sisters.

**Onii; **Brother. Same O as for sister.

**Okaa;** Mother. Same O differences.

**Sarutobi;** The clan of the Sandaime. Famous for Earth, Water, and Mud-type ninjutsu, as well as possessing the Monkey summoning scroll and combat style. During the Kyuubi's attack, the Sandaime was consumed by the beast, and presumably, Enma, the Adamant Staff summon, was lost with him. (It was never recovered, at least). The Summoning Scroll is currently held by Sarutobi Asuma, Hiruzen's only living son. (The younger died during the attack) Also known members include the son of Hiruzen's younger son, Konohamaru. (The whereabouts of this family are known to Jiraiya and Naruto, but it is not a widely-known secret, as they could be targeted still)

**Hatake;** The family of Kakashi, and his father, Konoha's White Fang. Little is known about them both in canon and in this story. A small clan, but larger than the Sarutobi at this point.

**Inuzuka;** One of the strongest and largest of the remaining clans. Their traits of personal strength and loyalty to the group have let them thrive, even with the downfall of Konoha. While some retreated deep into the woods, living an almost-feral existence, others have sold out their skills for a generation as mercenary ninja. Currently, the only Inuzuka in the area are Rin and Hana. (More about them later)

**Akimichi;** Another of the larger clans, in more ways than one. Famous for their strength, striking power, and large size. Many of them specialize in Sumai, a fighting style that is precursor to real-world sumo. Commonly have red or reddish hair, and are well above-average in weight and appetite, to fuel the massive cellular growth that accompanies their techniques. Currently, only Chouza's brother is in the area.

**Ano;** "um" or something very similar.

**-San;** A term of respect between equals, most directly translates to "Mr."

**-Sama; **A term of respect for your betters in strength, age, or social standing. Most similar to "Sir", or "lord".

**-Kun; **A suffix used to denote familiarity, without being too informal. Kun is usually used for males, but there is some leeway- especially when one wants to insult. Calling an older or 'stronger' or more politically powerful male '-kun' is a grievous insult. Calling a female -kun can either be seen as calling her a tomboy (also insulting to most), or saying she's not as strong as you are.

**-Chan;** Similar to -kun in most ways, but refers to females. Many of the same rules apply in social situations, however, -chan is also commonly used by mothers to refer to their children, if those children are pre-teens. (Notice Tsunade frequently refers to both Naruto and Sakura as -chan, still)

**-hime;** (also 'hime) Literally, "Princess". Senju-hime, Tsunade-hime, etc, are both polite ways of honoring Tsunade and her family, as a descendant of Konoha's first 'king', the Shodaime. The way Jiraiya says it, as "'hime", is similar to the way Han Solo calls Leia "Princess" in the Star Wars movies. She hates it just as much as Leia does, though, like Han, Jiraiya means it in a totally respectful and loving way.

**Haruno;** Sakura's family. Her mother was friends with both Tsunade and Kushina, Naruto's mother. Deceased, except for her. Unkown abilities, but most were civilians. Her father had been the first shinobi in years to come from the family.

**Hinata;** Elder daughter of Hiashi, the Hyuuga Clan head. Timid, shy, and 'weak'. Beautiful, in a porcelain-doll kind of way. At least, that's how Naruto sees her at first. Stronger than she appears.

**Hajime; **lit,. "Beggining", it is the traditional way to call the start of a duel or sparring mach.

**Uzumaki;** Kushina and Naruto's clan. It is unknown in this story why Naruto still goes by it, now that he knows his father's name. (Have I done that part, yet? If not, ignore this till later) Formerly, a clan that existed in Whirlpool before it was destroyed during the second great ninja war. Means "Spiral". The symbol on Naruto's back in canon is NOT the Uzumaki symbol, as many seem to think. Otherwise, that same symbol would not be on the back of every chunin or jonin vest. It is very similar, though- I actually think the one on his shoulders during the pre-time-skip part of the manga is his clan symbol.

**Hiashi;** Leader of the Hyuuga. A stern, cold man, when you first meet him. He treats his daughter badly in the hopes that she will toughen up. Perhaps he goes a bit overboard. Soundly beaten by Naruto in a duel for that purpose, he agrees to start treating her better. Time will tell if he succeeds.

**Jyuuken;** "Empty Palm", another way of saying "Karate" (Empty Hand). It's a very soft style of Taijutsu compared to most, but this particular style relies more on speed and the ability to pulse chakra into the opponent- even at short ranges- to do it's damage. A single jyuuken strike, correctly executed, can stop a heart or turn a brain into jelly. A very agile, speed-oriented style, similar to Aikido or even more so, Kung Fu.

**Byakugan;** "White Eye", the all-seeing eye of the Hyuuga. It allows for great range, great detail, and chakra sensing of the highest order. More about this later.

**Tenketsu;** "Chakra Points". The areas at which the chakra leaves a human body. There are 64 of them on a human, which is why the 64-palms strike exists. 64 hits for 64 targets.

**Kuso; **lit, "shit". An expletive.

**Kaiten;** "Heavenly Rotation", or "Heaven's Spin". The move that Neji uses during the Chuunin Exams against Naruto so well.

**Ootori;** lit, Phoenix. It's a rather obscure term, rooted in the Chinese version of the Phoenix, but more accurate for my purposes than Su-Zaku, the Fire Bird that rules the South Wind.

**Ootorigakure wa Sato; **"The Village Hidden by the Phoenix". The full, formal name of the new village, once it is adopted officially. (And it will be)

**Kumo; **"Cloud". Kumo can also mean spider, or even spider spirit, but for purposes of Naruto, it simply refers to either Kumogakure, or Kumo no Kuni, the mountainous land past Neck Country to the north of Hi no Kuni/Konoha.

**Kiri; **"Mist". Also "Kirigakure", the Village Hidden in the Mist. The main ninja village of the Land of Water/Waves.

**Iwa; **"Rock". Tsuchigakure is the Hidden Village of Iwa, and translates as "Village Hidden in Stones". Iwa no Kuni is the Land of Rock, a large, mountainous country west and north of Hi.

**Kusa; "**Grass". Kusagakure is not one of the five great hidden villages, but it is powerful amongst the lesser villages. Formerly allied with both Iwa and Konoha, it turned on the Leaf like many others during the time after the Kyuubi. Many of it's ninja can use "Grass Jutsu", similar to the Senju clan's Mokuton, but it is unknown in canon if this is a similar or related ability. I will make my own assumptions when the time comes, unless it's revealed in canon before I get to that point.


	5. Chapter 5: 'Cooking contest'

**A/N:** Firstly, sorry about the delay. Bit of writer's block, bit of necessity to find another job, (still looking. :P) and possibly a bit of necessity to find a new place to live if I don't have one soon. Yay for crappy economies- it finally caught up with me.

However, this chapter is quite long- even longer than 4. Which is strange, because in the beginning it was supposed to just be a filler/bridge chapter. But instead, things happen to further some relationships- and more. We even see some old faces for the first time in this one, though no new "Rookie 12" this time, there is a mention of one.

Enjoy Chapter 5!

**Chap. 5 Cooking turns random ingredients into a tasty whole!**

This was, perhaps, the thing Naruto had _least_ wanted to happen when he'd defeated the mighty Hyuuga Clan Head in single combat, and made his speech.

On second thought, scratch the 'perhaps'.

On the one hand, some of the Uchiha that had been less than pleased with him now seemed to be disposed in his favor. In addition, about half of the Hyuuga were quite happy and congratulatory of him, if in secret. _But I suppose_, Naruto thought a few days later, _I can understand why they keep it low-key. If they made a big fuss of it in public, it would cause even more loss of face for Hiashi-san._

On the other, however, some of the Uchiha seemed to hate him even more, and those Hyuuga that didn't give him subtle smiles as he passed, or thanked him quietly for every small thing he did, sent him glares and looks of deepest loathing whenever he was around.

Of course, those same people, from whichever family, dropped a few additional clues, as well. The sudden, profound silences when he approached a group of them talking. His shoes mysteriously disappearing from in front of his tent one night, only to be there when he went to bed filled with dirt- or worse. Little things like that didn't bother him, though, he'd had worse happen during his training trip with his father figure.

No, it was more the fact that the survivors of Konoha seemed to be organizing themselves into two very distinct and separate camps, despite all his efforts to the contrary. Of course, when he'd spoken to Tsunade and Jiraiya about his worries, they had explained a bit more that he hadn't been aware of, too. For instance, it had escaped the young ninja's notice that the Hyuuga who were friendly with him mostly wore headbands or other coverings on their foreheads- to cover the seal Shizune had told him about before the duel. As well, the Uchiha who spoke to him were those most like Obito, and those who didn't seemed to be more loyal to Fugaku.

Those ninja- and civilians- who treated him less well were those who were from the Hyuuga Main Branch house, and the vast majority of the Uchiha. Unfortunately for Naruto, that meant that, while he was looked on as a powerful shinobi in his own right, he was given only the bare minimum of respect by those who thought it a bad idea to disrupt the status quo. Of course, to the blonde, the _was_ no status quo. The whole village hadn't even really begun to rebuild, yet, and any talk of politics and balances of power seemed far too premature for him.

So he did the only thing he could think of-

-something else no one in their right minds would.

He put together a cooking contest/picnic, for the entire group.

True, on one hand the idea was patently absurd. A cooking contest- for shinobi? And it was supposed to close the rift that had formed- however unwillingly on Naruto's end- between the faction who supported him and the one that didn't?

Still, Sakura had to admit to herself, even if the 'opposing' faction only wanted to humiliate and defeat the slightly smaller 'friendly' faction, they were getting into it all the same.

It wasn't until a few days into the contest, though, that the apprentice medic caught the first real hint of it.

She had been carrying a stone four times heavier than she was, and solid enough to use in reconstruction so she didn't want to break it, from one end of the largest cleared space to the other, where Tsunade was overseeing the construction of what would be Ootori's first hard building- the hospital. While the supplies carried by the Uchiha, and the large wagons that the Hyuuga had lived in for years served well enough as temporary treatment facilities, the blonde Sannin had insisted that having a proper medical center was their first priority. After all, as she'd put it, "If we do get attacked, where will we deal with poisons? Or lethal wounds? We can't treat those in a tent or wagon."

Remembering the stubborn set to her master's jaw, Sakura smiled as she turned slowly around and began bending her knees, then groaned as the stone hit the ground and took it's weight off. _Hell... another one like that, and chakra-enhanced strength or not, I'm gonna snap in half!_

The kunoichi stretched lightly, trying to ease the cramp she was developing between her shoulder blades, when she heard it.

"Yes, I'm going to make _that_. It's my husband's favorite, of course. In fact, it's my whole family's. There's no way we can lose this contest! And then Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama will acknowledge the Uchiha- and mostly my branch of the Clan- as the best!"

Another woman nearby snorted, then replied as Sakura looked over with an eyebrow raised, "Yeah, sure. I guess your specialty's pretty good, but compared to mine? You don't stand a chance, Hikari."

Suddenly deciding she didn't want to know, the young woman gave a soft snort and turned away from the gossiping pair, just as another two women arrived to join the group.

_And of course, they leave the _real_ ninja to do all the work, while they sit there and talk about what they're cooking in Naruto's silly contest. Morons... that just defeats the whole purpose!_

* * *

"Ne, Sakura-chan," Naruto called over the surrogate family's breakfast fire a few days later, "what are you entering in the contest? Onigiri?"

The woman snorted, causing both Shizune and Tsunade to look away, hands over their mouths as they tried not to snicker. "You'd better not tempt her, Naruto," Tsunade said after a single noise escaped her control, "Sakura's rice balls might just kill someone one of these days."

"Hey," the younger woman shouted, glaring at her master, "they aren't that bad!"

Jiraiya, sitting down next to Naruto, muttered in a voice just loud enough for all to hear, "Yeah, but even Tonton wouldn't eat them that one time right before we left. What does _that_ say?"

Naruto snorted himself, but when Sakura turned her fierce glare towards him, he looked as innocent as the day he was born. In fact, he looked _curious_, still.

"I... I'm not going to enter," Sakura said, looking away as her anger shifted to shame.

_I can't cook anything anyway- I'd just embarrass Tsunade-shishio and Shizune-nee-chan if I tried._

Naruto, though, didn't give up. "Come on, Sakura-chan! I'm sure you've come a long way since then! It was seven years ago!"

Shizune, this time, couldn't resist putting in her own comment, "And last week. Tonton wouldn't eat that one, either."

Now, the blond shinobi's eyes raised. "That was _Sakura-chan_'s? I thought that was Jiraiya's cooking!"

Far from making his friend feel better, though, instead that was the last straw as the thin hold she'd had on her temper snapped. "_What?_" she screeched, jumping across the fire and pulling the man up by his collar, causing his breakfast to fall onto the dirt. "Are you saying my food's as bad as that- that- that _pervert's_?!"

Terrified, Naruto put his hands up to wave them before his face, palms toward his attacker, and stammered out, "N- no, Sakura-chan! I didn't mean it like- your cooking is the _best_! I just wanted- wanted to show everyone how you've- uh- improved! Yeah, improved! How far you've... uh... come?"

The last part trailed off as the look in Sakura's eyes got, if anything, worse.

"Naruto- just for that, I'm going to make you _suffer_ for lying to me!"

When she'd finally released him and stalked off a moment later, the first to speak to the dazed young man was Tsunade. "You asked for it, Naruto... if you don't say she wins the contest, she's gonna have your hide for a coat this winter. And we _all_ know you can't lie to Sakura to save your life."

Nodded wisely, Jiraiya winked at his old teammate and stood, saying, "Yep... well, it's been nice knowing you, Naruto. See you in the next life!" then patted the younger man on the head and walked away.

* * *

The first thought Naruto had when he woke up the next morning was, _I'm still alive? Yippee!_

The second was more along the lines of, _oh crap, that means Sakura-chan really _is_ mad at me..._

As he sat up in is sleeping bag and rubbed his crusty eyes- he knew he'd slept badly by that alone, if not the weariness that still plagued him- another thought occurred to the young man. This in itself was unusual, as his mornings were usually passed in a state similar to a drunken haze, at least until he had breakfast.

The thought, though, was something guaranteed to both ruin his day, and wake him fully up at once. _Maybe... maybe Skaura-chan thinks I said all that 'cause of the damned fox... maybe she really does hate me now..._

Seventeen, nearly eighteen, years old or not, the blond ninja was still very new to social situations- especially with teenaged girls. While, to Shizune, Tsunade, and to a lesser extent, Jiraiya, the pink-haired kunoichi's behavior seemed both normal and to be expected, to the younger man, it was a truly terrifying situation. _Well, Sakura-chan... I guess you were right. It hasn't even been twelve hours yet, and I'm suffering... but I wasn't lying. I liked your cooking..._

As he finished preparing for the day, only a few fully formed thoughts went through his mind- among them a dim awareness that neither Shizune nor Sakura were there for breakfast- before he was back to the back-breaking labor of clearing rubble for the Uchiha homes that were now being built- even if the work was now slower because so many of the people were distracted by his silly, stupid contest. _Worst idea I've ever had._

* * *

His sister and semi-girlfriend-semi-sister-semi-best-friend- and wouldn't it help is situation a lot if he knew which one of those positions was more dominant- or even that one _could_ be dominant- were currently back at their cottage, while the older woman did her best to teach the younger something she hadn't been able to learn in all of her eighteen years living with the older.

"No, Sakura, cooking isn't just about measuring ingredients and putting them together- you have to do all of that in a certain order, a certain way, or the end result will just be _wrong_!"

It wasn't like Shizune to yell, unless it was at Jiraiya for 'researching' her in the shower, or for Naruto barging into the occupied bathroom without knocking, or Tsunade for drinking too much. In fact, Sakura could count the times she'd been yelled at by her onee-san on one hand- but today alone had shattered that record. "But Shizune, I just thought I might be faster if-"

"_No_! If you put the stuff all together at once it turns into goo. It has some flavor still, sure, but it won't have the texture, the shape, the fluffyness- it's just _wrong_!"

Sakura nearly burst into tears when Shizune, at the end of her rope, stormed out of the kitchen, muttering something that sounded a lot like 'hopeless' under her breath.

* * *

For one Uzumaki Naruto, the next three days passed in a painful, aching blur. At first, he thought he might have been coming down with something- although he'd never been sick a day in his life, thanks to his tenant. He had been lethargic, his eyes drooped, and he'd had no energy at all. He hadn't been able to eat, even _ramen_. He'd still pulled his weight in the work going on around the growing camp, but only just- rather than going the extra mile as he usually did. And all of that with barely a bite to eat.

He hadn't been sleeping well, either, a fact that Tsunade noticed the first day, and actually commented on the second, when his eyes were distinctly baggy.

Still, most of the Uchiha and the few Hyuuga he interacted with simply chalked it up to fatigue due to working so hard, or possibly not eating so that he would have the sheer _hunger_ needed to sample all the dishes everyone was preparing to make.

Only those who knew him best could identify the real problem.

Naruto wasn't sick. He was lovesick- and didn't have a clue.

It was the latter fact that spurred Jiraiya into action. Normally lazy, too lazy to do anything but occasionally train Naruto and frequently spy on women in various states of undress- attractive or not, didn't really matter to him, though of course the former was preferable- the fact that the old Sage actually _volunteered_ to Tsunade to do something about it told the woman that maybe the situation was more severe than she'd thought.

"Sure, Jiraiya, sure- just go talk to him then. He listens to you more than me, anyway. He's just like M- well, you know. He'd never listen to a medic unless he _had_ to."

Jiraiya resisted the urge to roll his eyes, both because the Senju was absolutely correct, and because he knew better than to think that Naruto would even listen to him about this. "No, I have a better idea. Tell me what you think about this little plan..."

As he explained, the blond woman's face grew more and more stern, then at the end suddenly shifted to one of unabashed delight. "You really think that'll work?" she asked, trying to suppress a round of soft giggles.

Jiraiya nodded, grinning widely himself, "Sure it will. Sakura's a great girl, we both know it, but she's so _easy_ to manipulate- especially when it comes to Naruto. But he's dense gold- maybe denser- when it comes to girls, so even stage one of the plan won't do more than get him to notice her. And speaking of that... that conversation they had after we found the Uchiha- did you hear any of that?"

The woman had to think for a moment, her finger on her lips, before she replied, "On the roof? Yeah- I think she finally started to realize it herself. They've been pretty close ever since. I went to bed pretty quick, though, so I didn't hear most of it."

Jiraiya nodded again, looking around quickly to try and spot anyone eavesdropping, "I didn't stay up too late myself- but I sent Gamakichi out to eavesdrop. He told me everything. Did you know Ootori was born that night? Well, that morning..."

As he relayed the events of that evening, Tsunade's mood continued to improve drastically. By the time her old teammate was finished, she was thoroughly convinced. "Do it, Jiraiya. Do it quick- the faster the better, before anyone figures out who he is and tries to start setting him up in arranged marriages. Though I could maybe see that Hyuuga princess being a decent match... Sakura is just _better_ for him."

He nodded quickly, and murmured, "Right. I'll head out to the cabin, then. See you in a few hours."

He was half-way out of the camp when Tsunade's last words reached him, causing the seasoned warrior to pause for a microsecond before continuing on his way, a grim smile now covering his face. "And Jiraiya- if you screw this up, I will _never_ forgive you."

What Tsunade hadn't realized, was that if he screwed it up- Jiraiya would never forgive himself, either.

* * *

The day of the contest dawned cool and crisp, the first hint of fall in the air. Naruto, for the first time since his falling out with Sakura, woke up feeling mostly-rested, mostly-cheerful, and almost ready for the day ahead- even knowing what was coming. _Sakura-chan will never forgive me if she doesn't win, __but... I have to be fair. If she doesn't... no, don't think like that, Naruto. She'll come through- Sakura _always_ made the best food, even when we were little and she was just learning. So what if she almost burned down the cabin twice- in one day?_

Without allowing himself to dwell on it further, he woke up and prepared for the day, even ate a little breakfast- it wouldn't be until the sun was nearly down that he'd be able to eat again, after all.

"Okaa-san," he called over to Tsunade as he walked toward their cook fire, "did you make anything for the contest?"

The older woman shook her head, grinning, "No, but I think Jiraiya and me's project will please you all the same- once it's done. Won't be this evening, though."

He froze mid-step, confused, then shrugged before continuing. _When she wants to tell me..._ "So, how has Sakura-chan's training with Shizune been? I haven't heard anything in a few days... not since Shizune came back to camp that day all mad."

Chocolate eyes met cerulean for a few heartbeats, before Tsunade answered, "Hasn't been going well. Shizune never went back- she's been helping that Hyuuga princess. Hinara, Hanatari, whatever her name is. The older one."

_Crap._

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "Is... do you think Hinata will win? I mean, she's cool and all, but I was really hoping that... but if Shizune-nee-chan is helping her, I..."

He didn't see Tsuande look over his shoulder and his sensei, who gave a quick thumbs-up sign before turning away. "You don't have anything to worry about, Naruto. The old pervert and I caught on to your plan from the start- it's all going to work out like you wanted it to from the beginning, no matter who actually wins the contest."

His eyes widened in surprise, and the very real shock on his face was _nearly_ enough to convince the Sannin that he wasn't faking it when he stuttered, "W- what d-d-d-o you m-mean, Ts-kaa-san? I was-wasn't p-planning-"

The older woman gave him a knowing smile, and replied as she stood, "Nope, not a thing. But like I said, you don't need to worry. Just look forward to eating a lot of great food- you've earned it. I'll be seeing you at the judge's booth tonight, though I might be scarce until then."

She turned before she saw him nod. He didn't say anything as she walked away, though she could feel the sudden nerves pouring off of him. _Heh... gaki's never going to change in that way, for sure._

* * *

But Naruto, nervous as he was, had nothing on a certain kunoichi who had spent an entire week shut up in the kitchen of a cabin fifteen miles away.

When Jiraiya the Toad Seijin entered the room, his heart fluttered with fear for a moment, fearing a battle had taken place. Then he realized that the red was, in fact, some kind of tomato sauce. The broken furniture, dishes, and even crumpled pots and pans were simply signs of Sakura cooking- or trying to.  
As to _why_, exactly, said sauce covered the walls from floor to ceiling, and why one pan in particular- he recognized it vaguely as one of Shizune's favorites- was half-embedded in a support beam for the ceiling, Jiraiya avoided thinking about. _Some things, man was not meant to know._

The young woman he'd come to see was hunched over the counter space, one last dish held protectively between her arms. When Jiraiya approached to within a few steps, her head spun so quickly that her long, pink hair flew out nearly horizontal before her green eyes, maddened and furious, met his own.  
"Hey, Sakura-chan," he got out.

But her low growl, so very like Naruto's had been the few times the Kyuubi had nearly escaped on their journey, cut him off at once, "Get away, pervert! I'm not going to let _anyone_ screw this cake up! If you take even one more step, I'll kill you!"

Perhaps it wasn't the wisest course of action for him to snort derisively. He knew, after all, that Sakura had been trained in Tsunade's strength-enhancing techniques.

But then again, he, like Tsunade herself, was a Sannin. Where he might let his old teammate hit him just for some sad, momentary contact between them, he blocked the younger woman's punch almost effortlessly.  
"Calm down, Sakura. I'm not hear to sabotage you. I'm actually here to _help_ you."

Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed at once before she growled, moving to cover the cake- if that's what it was- from his view, "Like you can help me- you're a worse cook than I am!"

He nodded wisely, then turned and stepped away to right the lone intact chair before sitting in it backwards, but facing the girl. "True, I can't cook- Naruto knows that better than anyone. But there are a few things I can teach you that will really help you out. If you want to learn them, anyway."

She was silent for a long time, and he could practically see the wheels in her slightly oversized forehead turning. "What... what kind of things?"

"Ah, ah," he said, shaking a finger chidingly, "you know I don't work like that. You agree to accept my help, or you enter the contest on your own. But I can promise, if you take my help, you won't just please Naruto with your cooking- you'll win. Hands down."

She was, again, silent. This time, though, it took less than a minute for her to reply. "All right. What do you know? Hurry, I don't have a lot of time to make another-"

"No," he interrupted, "you won't be cooking any more. The cake's fine. Listen... do you know the biggest difference between the Naruto of seven years ago and the Naruto of today?"

"He's older," she said without hesitation, "so he's bigger, stronger, faster, more mature, maybe a bit smarter."

Jiraiys smiled inwardly, though no sign of it reached his lips or eyes, "Wrong." _Heh, so damned easy- just tell the know-it-all she misread something, or was wrong, and..._

"What? What do you mean, sensei?"

_Hook, line, sinker._ "It's like this... I told something that one of Konoha's old shinobi told me and the Yondaime, years ago. It's something at the very core of being a good ninja. Naruto took that lesson to heart way more than I ever did, and I'm a sp- well, someone who should have learned it much earlier and much more completely. I'd be practically supreme in what I do if I had."

She looked skeptical at best. "Okay, so what's this lesson?"

"A ninja has to look underneath the underneath. Sure, there's the obvious things- and the less-obvious. But what is at the _core_ of it all?"

She was obviously confused.

"Look," he said with a small sigh, "this cooking contest. What's on the surface?"

She thought a moment, shoulders finally starting to relax as her posture shifted from guarding her 'masterpiece' to rapt attention, "Isn't it... to get people to have some fun and relax? Maybe share some dishes, get them to have more in common?"

Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah, on the surface. That's just about my exact words, too. What about underneath that?"

This time, she didn't need to wait- she'd been coming up with this answer as she'd been saying the first, "To help repair the rift between the two factions. To get the Hyuuga and Uchiha talking to each other instead of fighting. Right?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Right. And... underneath that?"

This time, though, he waited and waited for an answer that didn't come. Try as she might, Sakura just couldn't see another purpose to the silly contest.

Eventually, though, Jiraiya took pity on her- or maybe he was just growing uncomfortable sitting there in silence. "Okay, one-time thing- I'll give you this answer. After this, you gotta come up with them on your own."

She nodded.

"It's like this- both the 'surface' and 'underneath' answers are pretty similar, right?"

Sakura nodded again.  
"Well, so is the third- that's often the case, actually. Similar reasons, but not the _same_ reason. We know Naruto wants to have some fun with the people. We know he wants to bring them together, get them to interact without hostility- and competition is a great way to do that, usually."

Sakura actually leaned back against the counter at this point, and folded her arms across her chest, thinking hard. Jiraiya neglected to mention- for his own safety and health- that the girl's hair had fallen into the frosting of her cake. _She'll find out later anyway..._

"But the most hidden meaning is something a little deeper. He's willing to make himself the bad guy to some people and a hero to others, to achieve this goal. It's actually pretty simple. Konoha used to pride itself on working to the common good, even though it's something they rarely seemed to do. Naruto wants to make that a _reality_ this time, instead of just words. He's starting small, of course. Big changes don't happen overnight."

The green eyes he was still watching closely narrowed further as he led her brain down the path of his reasoning until she reached what, to him, was already a foregone conclusion. "So... so he's doing all this just to get them all united to a common goal?"

Jiraiya's smile almost reminded her of Naruto. "Exactly! For the first time in eighteen years, hell, maybe a hundred, the people of Konohagakure are _united_. Sure, maybe it's something silly that it's for. But they are all thinking about the same thing, doing the same thing, and all for- mostly- the same purpose. You think Hiashi and Fugaku haven't figured out Naruto's reasons for the contest? They aren't stupid- they knew when we did. At least, the first to layers. But they're participating anyway. And that says a lot."

Sakura finally relaxed completely with a sigh. "So... so it doesn't really matter that I wanted to make something for Naruto... something he would really enjoy. It just matters that I made something."

Here, Jiraiya surprised the young kunoichi completely.

"Don't look so sad, Sakura. You're right, in a way... but you're missing the other point completely. I didn't think I'd have to point this one out to you, but..."

She looked up, half-hopeful and half-dreading his next words.

"You made a cake- not for the contest, but for _Naruto_. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head slowly.

"It means, basically- that you've _won_. Once he sees this, he'll take the first step towards realizing something that Tsunade, Shizune, and I have all know for ages- and that you're learning, too. No other dish- no matter how tasty or 'better' than yours it is- will stand a chance compared to the thing you made for Naruto."

Sakura smiled.

* * *

The gathered crowd had reached a festival atmosphere at last, and Naruto deemed it time. "All right," he called loudly, and then repeated the words at a yell, before they started to grow quiet. "It's time! Start bringing up your dishes- give your name and dish's name to Shizune, then bring it by. Each judge, and that's Senju Tsunade, Uchiha Itachi, Hyuuga Hizashi, and Inuzuka Tsume," while gesturing down the row of those seated on the small stage, "will take two bites to make sure we get the full flavor. Between, we are allowed a single swallow of wine, sake, or water to clear our palates. The dishes with the most votes will be brought up to me, and I will cast the final vote to decide the winner from those. Are there any questions?"

It took nearly four hours for the various proceedings to pass to the point where Naruto, his stomach grumbling, finally got to taste his first bite of food. It was, of course, delicious. Yakisoba may not have been the most original dish, but it was a traditional favorite, and something he'd loved ever since Shizune had first made it for him when he was four. But even that enjoyment, combined with the cries of happiness of one Uchiha Mikoto as the dish was placed on the 'finalist' table to be re-tried if he didn't find anything better, could not distract him from one glaring problem- Sakura had yet to arrive, and they had passed the preliminary portion of the contest. She was too late.

Tempura. Of all sorts and kinds.  
Ramen. _Did someone cheat? Oh, Shizune-nee-chan... heh._

Fish of every type and cooking method, even Fugaku itself, poisonous though it could be. _And who made that...? That look in Obito's eyes... is he trying to tell me something?_

Pies.

Cakes.

Yamatoni.

It was all superior in quality, but...

it was all missing something, too. Shizune's had come closest, but there was that spark, that one thing that...

"Sorry I'm late," a feminine voice called through the crowd, "I had to walk really slow so it wouldn't fall- and the frosting took _forever_ to get right!"

When Sakura reached the table and stood before Tsunade, who was already holding her belly and leaning back contendedly, Hizashi growled from two chairs away, "The time has passed, girl. We are in the finals."

Itachi, though, stole a glance at the cake and gave the tiniest of grins, "I disagree, Hyuuga-san, I think I have room for one more bite... what say you, Tsunade-sama, Tsume-sama?"

The wild-looking woman who currently lead the nearby family of ninken-trainers grinned wolfishly, "I'm not a real big fan of sweets, but if she tried her best, I see no reason why we can't give her the same shot as everyone else."

Tsunade, her eyes locked on the cake in her apprentice's hands and growing paler by the second, mumbled, "Uh, sure- but- I'm, uh... full. I know what her cooking is like though, so... she gets my vote?"

Outvoted, the stoic Hyuuga scowled and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Sakura to reach him before he could vote 'no'.

Itachi took a bite, his black eyes meeting Sakura's for only a moment, before spearing a piece of the confection with his fork and placing it calmly in his mouth.

By the time Sakura had reached Hizashi, Itachi's pale complexion was white as a ghost, and the look of horror on his face matched it. But he resisted, somehow, the urge to vomit. After all, _this stuck-up Hyuuga deserves it, anyway_.

Tsume, having time to watch the reactions of her fellow judges, already knew better than to take a bite- but she did anyway.

The sound of Hizashi trying to control his retching was music to her ears as she looked into the crestfallen eyes of the kunoichi before her. Tsume whispered, "Hey, girlie- buck up. I saw what your frosting said. Your boy up there, he's gonna love this- no matter what those fools think," giving a small shake of her head toward the rest of the judges. "Listen, I'll take a bite if you want- but I think you should save it for him. You already got my vote either way."

The shaking in Sakura's hands- Tsume had thought, at first, that it was shame at her failure, but was now convinced it was nerves about Naruto's reaction- increased as Sakura gave a wane smile. "Thank you, Inuzuka-sama," Sakura said, then walked shakily up to the smaller table set behind the others. She almost tripped on the two stairs up to it, but was caught by Jiraiya, one large hand on her slender arm.  
"You can do it, Sakura," he whispered with a knowing grin.

And then she saw Naruto.

His eyes were glued to hers, like he hadn't even noticed the cake. She could smell the aroma off the other finalists' creations, and it was making her stomach- empty now for nearly three days- grumble loudly enough she feared the crowd waiting in silence below would hear.

Tsuande, though she heard it, knew better. _They're doing more grumbling over a late arrival making the finals- with two of us not even eating any- than her stomach will ever make._

"H- hi, Naruto," she said quietly.

"Sakura-chan- about- about the other day. I'm s-"

"Here, I made this for you," she said softly, putting the cake down in front of him.

His eyes widened.

"F- for me?"

His smile did, too.

Thirty seconds later, half the cake was gone.

Sakura had tears in her eyes as Jiraiya called out the clear winner.

Itachi smiled as he tried, now almost in vain, to control his gag reflex.

Hizashi failed at the same.

Tsume smiled, looking up wistfully at the girl and her man- or whatever they were, thinking, _'s a shame, really... Kiba would really like that girl. But he hasn't got a chance in hell._

Tsunade, though, only shared a look with the still-smiling Jiraiya. _And thank Kami I didn't actually have to take a bite... _how_ Naruto can eat that shit..._

The blond boy in question, though, seemed to have no such problems. He did, though, have tears in his eyes, as he choked out, "Gr- great Salt-Cake, S-Sakura-chan," still gobbling down the cake with obvious delight.

And then the pink-haired woman's right eye twitched.

A moment later, the stage was demolished, and Naruto was lying, twitching himself, amongst the support beams where they entered the ground.

---

**AN2**: Longest chapter yet, for this story at least. This one's nine pages plus, more than a page longer than the last. I can't say when the next update will be, since I'm also working on the sequel to Late Blossoms (as I've said previously: LB2, "Blooming Firecracker"), and have some real-life troubles to contend with, too. But it'll be out as soon as I get it done, as always.

And now, your glossary update!

**Glossary:**

**Yakisoba: **A fried wheat-noodle dish, similar to (and originating from) chow mein.

**Tempura:** Deep-fried treats. Possibly (according to Wiki) originating in Portugal, I personal believe that at least a version of it existed before the Portugese explorers first landed on Japanese soil. They can contain vegetables, shrimp or other seafood, even, in more modern times, red meat or pork. Similar to 'chicken nuggets' in size.

**Ramen:**If you need me to explain this, you are watching the wrong anime, or reading the wrong manga- and you are most certainly reading the wrong fanfic. However, for the sake of argument- it is _not_ like the ramen you get in a styrofoam cup or small plastic package in US grocery stores. It is made fresh, often from soba noodles though many kinds are used. The broth is typically fish-broth, miso, or soy. Toppings are almost always made on the spot, though you can buy them pre-packaged and cut. They can include fish slices, (a spiral cut to this is also called "Naruto", which is where the joke Shizune made about Jiraiya naming our hero after a fishcake comes from) pork, beef, tofu, and pretty much anything else- though traditionally it is usually limited to those for meats, and a few vegetables (cabbage, etc) for rounding out the diet.

Often, in modern times, also includes soy nuts, peanuts, or other legumes for additional protein.

While still junk-food for sure, this Ramen is _considerably_ more healthy than the crap we can get here.

**Fugaku:** Blowfish. (The spike-ball kind) It's a delicacy when prepared properly, but when _not_ prepared properly, is highly lethal. Fugaku poison was/is frequently used for assassinations- and why the Japanese had food tasters. It was nearly tasteless, odorless, etc- and only a master chef could prepare it properly anyway, so there was almost no worry about dying this way, even though it happened a lot, apparently. No, it is not a coincidence, I think, that the Uchiha Patriarch has that name. He can look a little scary, like the blowfish, but is mostly a puffed-up blow-hard. (Sort of) He is, however, still surprisingly lethal when he wants to be.

**Yamatoni: **A more modern (meiji-era) beef dish. The beef is boiled in a soy sauce seasoned with ginger and sugar, and is, apparently quite tasty. (It is my Japanese aunt's - by marriage, not blood- favorite 'traditional' dish, from what I hear) I haven't actually had it, though.


	6. Chapter 6: The First Mission!

**A/N:** Hey, will wonders never cease- a chapter coming out at something approaching the proper time! Maybe even _early_! :)

This is mostly a bridge-chapter, so it's a bit thin on plot, but there are a lot of clues buried in there somewhere. Enjoy. :)

**Chap. 6** **The First Mission!**

"Hhhnnn..."

"Ah, you're finally awake, kiddo?"

It took the 'kiddo' in question a few seconds to figure out enough of what was going on to form a coherent reply, though his voice was still almost unrecognizable due to his parched throat. "'s thut hhyuu, Ka-shans?"

There was a soft giggle from somewhere to his left, and a faint rustling of something that reminded him of drying laundry- and a smell that did the same.

"Whu... where'm we?"

Silence greeted him for a moment, and he was about to repeat his question, when a bright light stabbed into first one eye, then the other. "Hmm... she must have gotten you harder than I thought. You're still having trouble talking. Pretty good concussion- I'm almost proud of her- if I wasn't so mad at her."

"Whu?"

"Sakura. She clocked you pretty good after you said it was a salt-cake. How much after that do you remember?"

"Not... not much?" he said, not intending it to sound like a question, but if the truth were to be told, he would say he didn't _know _how much he didn't remember. He did remember that incoming fist, though.

"Kaa-san... why can't I see?"

"Oh, nothing special... your eyes are fine, I just had to tie the cold compress for your eye _somewhere_ you didn't have swelling over your skull, or you'd be screaming right now. No!" she yelled suddenly, and he felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him into the bed, "Don't try to get up for a while. You're going to need to stay here for today, at least. She did quite a bit of damage- most of it was an accident. I don't think she realized she could bring that rickety stage right down on top of you."

"She... what?"  
"Here, I'll take them off... but you've got a hell of a shiner, so don't be surprised if you can't see much out of your right for a while."

The blinding light stabbed back into his eyes, but this time it faded slowly instead of vanishing. Thankfully, the one on his right, that had been jarred by the simple act of Tsunade lifting the compress, was considerably dimmer.

When he was able to see again through the bright, he recognized vaguely that he had three walls around him, and the fourth was creating the sound- and smell- of fresh laundry. _A sheet or three? Wait... that must mean I'm in the... but... how long was I out?_

"Four days," the older blonde replied quietly to his unasked question. "You had a severe concussion, four broken ribs, and some internal bleeding- nothing really major, but without your 'tenant' healing you, you'd have been under for two weeks or more. Maybe you would never have woken up- there are signs of a major concussion, but when we got you in here and set up enough to perform in-depth scans, we found it mostly gone. We mostly kept you sedated so you wouldn't have to feel our surgeries."

Naruto nodded, fisting his hands into the thin covering draped loosely over him.

After a while spent in silence, Tsunade occasionally glancing over at his almost... _is he sullen?_ Face, she stood and moved to the door. "Well, the others will want to see you now that you're up, so-"

"Wait..."

She froze, the tremble in his voice enough to tell her that something was really bothering him. Pulling her hand from the doorknob, she turned and stepped back toward his bedside and covered one of his hands in her own. _And when did they get so big, anyway?_

He was a long time speaking, and Tsunade was beginning to get impatient when he finally opened his mouth, still not looking up at her.

"If I ask you some questions... will you promise to answer honestly?"

_Where has innocent, trusting Naruto gone? This is... surreal!_ "I... I can't promise, but I will do my best. Some secrets just aren't mine to tell."

He nodded.

"Umm... do you... do you hate me? For carrying that _thing_ around? For what it did to Konoha?"

Her response was immediate, though not exactly what he'd expected. Instead of being chastised for thinking it, for _voicing_ such a silly fear, or worse, venting her anger and rage, long-pent by now, on him, the older woman let go of his hand at once and threw both of her arms around him, pulling him into a crushing hug.

After a time, he found the will to bring one of his own rather larger arms up and wrap it around the older woman's waist.  
In response, she finally was able to speak through her tears, whispering through both of their hair into his ear, "Is this the act of someone who hates you for _anything_, Naruto?"

He gave a sheepish chuckle, and muttered, "Sorry... I had to ask."

She shook her head against his and whispered, "No... no you didn't. But I understand why you did."

He pulled her in a bit tighter. "And... does the Pervert...?"

There was no need to ask who he was referring too, of course. "No... Jiraiya loves you as much as I do. Surely you can tell?"

He hiccuped, and it was only then that Tsunade was able to tell her surrogate son was crying as well, "I hope- I mean, I thought he did... but you guys are such good actors, I..."

When he trailed off, Tsunade lost her own train of thought as well. But that was all right with her, she had another track to follow anyway. "How... how long have you been keeping all this worry inside, Naruto?"

He stiffened for a moment, relaxed, and whispered back, "Since I found out about the Fox."

"Well... thank you for coming to me with it, Naruto. I'm glad you trust me that much... and it's something I can hold over the old man till the day he dies."

He chuckled along with her for a bit, then said, "Well... you know how it is. There's some things you can tell your mom that you can't tell your dad, you know?"

At that simple phrase, Tsunade's tears began pouring down anew.

"... Mom?"

He nodded, crying again himself, "I know I call you Kaa-san all the time, but... I just wanted you to know that's how I really see you and the old perv. Whoever my parents were... you are my mom and dad. Shizune-nee-chan is my big sister, and Sakura is... well... if she will ever speak to me again..."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Naruto," the medic said quietly, "she's been here the whole time- cried all night, too. Even Jiraiya and I left for a while, but not her."

* * *

Two days later, Naruto was still having occasional flashes of confusion or seeing tiny glowing auras around objects, but after the first few hours of being awake and in the half-room of the hospital, he had stopped telling the medics about them- he wanted to go out and _do_ things, not stay locked up while they checked his head over and over!

The changes made during his 'nap' were astounding. The hospital was, by far, the most complete building, but he could see dozens of foundations that had, to his point of view, sprung into life practically overnight.

The only thing that was actually able to mar his mood was his all-to-short time with Sakura. She had been the first into his room when Tsunade had left, but she had hardly taken one step inside the door, when she blurted out, her voice cracking, "I'm so sorry!" and then running from the room again. He hadn't seen her since.

All of that led to one situation- here, now.

Standing before him were Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya, with Sakura beside him. On his other side stood the stoic, black-eyed and raven-haired Uchiha Sasuke, a boy that Naruto had hardly exchanged ten words with since they'd met, but that he shared a strange sense of kinship with.

"We have our first mission for you as Konoha ninja- er, I mean, as Ootori ninja."

It was Shizune speaking, though to Naruto and Sakura, at least, it was obvious that she'd been instructed in what words to use by the older pair, as they nodded after practically everything she said.  
"Your mission will be to travel to several towns in the south and west areas of Hi no Kuni, _quietly_ spreading the word amongst the remnants of the ninja clans that we have returned. We aren't expecting them to pledge their support at this point, although of course we'd love it if they did. Right now, all we want is to let them know that times are changing. But you have to be _discreet_," here, Shizune sent a special look to Naruto, "so you don't bring enemies down on us before we're ready. Here's the list of towns and a map, along with some contact information, thanks to the Hyuuga caravan. You'll be leaving tomorrow. Any questions?"

Naruto, reaching his hand out to take the papers, shook his head. Sakura, though, raised a hand. "Ano, Shizune-sempai, but... why the three of us?"

It was Jiraiya who answered, "We and the clan elders who have returned already decided to send out our younger members both because they would attract less suspicion than obviously-experienced shinobi, and, frankly, we want to see what you all can do."

Sasuke nodded, the others following suite.

"Right then," Naruto was saying, his eyes flicking over the hand-made briefing, "Hey, this says we have to pose as a married couple and their idiot friend! Why are you guys doing that to Sasuke? I mean, sure, he's a bit of a jerk, but-"

"Naruto," Tsunade said sweetly, "_you_ are the idiot friend. Sasuke and Sakura will be the newlyweds."

The only thing that could have topped the look on the pair's faces for the older trio was watching the newcomer's eyes rake from Sakura's well-toned legs, his smile widening as he went, up the curve of her buttocks, across and up her stomach and chest, and then up to her hair, where his eyes froze, then widened in terror.

_Dumbass hasn't even looked at her until the mention of 'wife' came up... then he looks at her like a piece of meat. And then he imagines little Uchiha brats with pink hair... dumbass._ Shizune wasn't prone to thinking ill of her fellow man, but something about the stoic shinobi just rubbed her the wrong way. _I hope this plan doesn't backfire, Tsunade-sama..._

* * *

When Naruto woke the next morning, both Sakura and Sasuke were outside his tent, the dark-haired boy stirring his cook pot slowly. Each looked up, though their low conversation didn't pause, aside from Sakura giving Naruto a smile.

"Hey... what time do we need to leave?"

Sasuke shrugged, but Sakura patted the log beside her and replied, "Shishio said we don't need to leave until you've had breakfast, at least. There really isn't a time limit on this mission, so..."

He nodded, accepting the proffered seat, and tossed an appraising eye to the boy on his right.

The Uchiha was definitely in Obito's camp, as far as he knew- he seemed to follow his older brother around almost like a puppy, albeit a highly dangerous one. And the older of the brothers seemed to be doing everything he could to prove his loyalty to the two Sannin, and even more so, to Naruto himself. And if that display of loyalty provoked or annoyed his father, so much the better- the only time to date Naruto had seen the older Uchiha heir smile was after he'd particularly snubbed Fugaku's choice on where to place the future ANBU headquarters in favor of Naruto's idea- and in public, no less.

The answering look on the olive-skinned father of the brothers would have been reward enough, in the blonde's opinion.

Sasuke looked a lot like Itachi in many ways- the same pale, smooth skin covering hard muscles. Their mouths were almost identical, now that he looked closely, and even their expressions were very similar. _Goes to show- environment matters. If he'd been raised by that bastard Fugaku, I doubt he'd be even half as happy as he is now- and that's saying a _lot_._

_Still... at least he seems to hold himself well. Itachi trained him pretty good, from what I've seen. Maybe we can even get some sparring in on the road._

Aside from that, in Naruto's opinion, there wasn't much to see on the other boy. His hair stuck up in a weird way toward the back, his eyes were pretty dark- but all of the Uchiha's were, it seemed. There was a certain angle to his jaw, and the way he looked at Naruto, that made him think of the other boy as a more capable warrior than many would give him credit for- which suited the blonde just fine. _Maybe some competition, finally._  
Then he turned his gaze to listen to what Sakura was saying, when Sasuke nodded.

"-an't be too careful, we should plan out a bit before we even leave. Like, how long have we been married? Who's older? Why, exactly, is this baka coming along with us on our honeymoon, or to make our fortunes, or whatever? Where did we meet? Where are we from? Things like that."

Naruto nodded- he'd heard the lecture from Tsunade the night before as well. Sasuke's eyes, though, widened. It was apparent he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Um... why can't we be from around here? There's a number of small villages still."

"Tsunade-sama wants us," she shrugged, "to be from farther away. So it draws even less suspicion to the area, I suppose."

The raven-haired boy looked down into the fire for a moment, then said, "Fine... since I don't have much of an accent, we'll say I'm from Wave- met you there when I rescued you from being attacked by that bastard Gato's men, or something."

Naruto snorted, but the other boy just continued on, "And Naruto's coming to 'protect your virtue' until we're _actually_ married, 'cause your parents didn't approve of me, so we are eloping, or something."

_Wow. That's actually pretty good,_ Naruto thought.

"All right- sounds good," he said, reaching for the pot. He'd waited long enough- he was ready to eat, whether whatever the other boy had cooked for him was ready to be eaten or not.

* * *

Shizune had come to see them off, and expressed that both of their parent figures were sorry they couldn't be there, but they were simply too busy. Still, she handed each of them a small purse full of coins, and said, "We want you three to be careful with that- there isn't any more to be had if you come back, so... we're running on fumes here, financially. The profits of the entire Hyuuga Caravan have been divided amongst those taking this mission, so we really are going to be broke after this, until we start getting real missions. So you three _really_ be good with it- make it stretch, and bring all you can back."

Naruto's eyes had lit up when he realized what was in it, but it took Shizune a moment to notice. When she had, though, the brunette yanked the purse from his hand and handed it to Sakura while glaring at him, "No- I don't think we need you to blow a tenth of the _entire camp's_ treasury on ramen, Naruto- no matter how much you like it."  
The look she gave Sakura made the younger woman gulp. There would be hell to pay if he overspent, and it would come out of _her _hide as much as his.

"Uh... fine, yeah... let's go then, guys," the girl said, suddenly turning away from her onee-san and moving off.

"Buy, Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto yelled, waving his hand as if he'd just be heading back to the cabin for a day rather than undertake a mission of indeterminate length- and that, if they were seen by the wrong people, could well ruin their fledgling settlement- not to mention kill all three of the teenagers walking away from her.

* * *

It was two days into their search before, guided by a rough map Inuzuka Tsume had made of the surrounding area, before the trio reached the home of what she called "them Naras". Naruto had been surprised by how good a traveling companion Sasuke had been. Reticent and taciturn in the camp, it was only six hours into their journey when he'd finally started talking. He had, at Sakura's insistence, told them the real story of how he and his older brother had survived the night of the Kyuubi's attack, how Itachi had brought him up and trained him to be a Shinobi- but not _just_ a Shinobi.

To hear the younger brother tell it, Itachi had hated his entire family before the massacre, and while he'd never tried to make his younger brother feel the same, the stories he'd told of their clan had caused a bit of resentment between the two all the same. Itachi, therefore, raised Sasuke how he'd come to wish he had been raised himself- with a firm hand, yes, but a loving one. One who cared about more than just skill and power, one who cared about honor, integrity, and ethical strength.

The more he heard, the more Naruto came to realize that Sasuke, quiet as he may be, was more like him than he would ever have suspected while still in the camp.

_Aside from that damned fox... but still, Sasuke seems to have _something_ driving him, some purpose, or... well, something. Maybe he thinks he's just better than the rest, I donno. Maybe he _is_. Itachi's one Uchiha I wouldn't want to fight, and if Sasuke is his apprentice and little brother... but I still gotta check!_

The home they approached was large, nearly palatial, but it was almost invisible in the forest until they were right on top of it- literally, in Naruto's case. He had attended to move aside a vine and step past it, but walked into a corner of the building before he realized that the vine in question was long-dead, and serving to blur the edges of the wooden structure he'd run into.

Without reacting much except to rub his nose a bit, he stepped back appraisingly, and muttered, "Huh. Good job on this. Let's go find the door."

It took them almost five minutes to find the entry, which, by the time they reached it, had six adults, four teens, and four pre-teens standing in front of it in rows. Each had a hardened look to him, even the children, and their eyes seemed to pierce into the depths of Naruto's soul.

"Ano," Sakura began, holding her hands out non-threateningly, "My husband- well, my future husband, and my brother are passing through the area, and we-"

"We know who you are, Haruno Sakura," the tallest man among them spoke, folding his arms over his chest.

He was scarred, not heavily so, though the scars themselves were large and vicious-looking, across his face as if some great beast had raked across it with a mighty claw- and he'd been lucky enough to survive. His hair, like his clan mates', was almost as dark as the Uchiha's, though their eyes were a bit lighter. The man's skin was tanned almost as darkly as Fugaku's, though judging by the complexion of many of those around him, it was, in fact, a tan- not natural skin tone.

"Um, we-" Sakura attempted to continue, but was cut off again.

"We will return to Konoha when we are ready- and not before. Our clan was decimated in the war following the Kyuubi's attack, and we do not have the strength to stand with you yet. Once you are stronger- when you need us less- we will stand beside you."

Naruto wanted to argue, but was cut off by Sasuke raising his hand across the blonde's chest, and saying, "My brother always spoke highly of you, Nara Shikaku. We, on behalf of Ootori and Konoha, will respect your wishes. When you are ready, we will welcome you."

Naruto spluttered, but was cut off by Sakura's bow, and her words of agreement, "Of course, Nara-sama, the Sannin Senju Tsunade and Jiraiya the Toad Seijin also wish to welcome you formally to Ootori when you are ready to join us."

Knowing he was outnumbered, and getting the hint that arguing with the other man would avail him of nothing except an argument itself, Naruto bowed stiffly, but said nothing.

The older man standing ten yards away gave a soft chuckle, then cut it off at once. "Continue your mission. We will be watching to see when you are ready."

It was an hour later when the blonde finally felt the eyes on his back recede into the gathering darkness. "What the hell?" was the first thing he said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and said nothing, allowing their other companion to answer, "Isn't it obvious, Naruto? They knew we were coming- that means they know pretty much everything else that's going on, too. They were _ready_ for us. We wouldn't have been able to convince them with any argument we could have come up with- they had at least a day to prepare counter-arguments. Besides... we got what we wanted, anyway."

"... we did?"

Both of the others rolled their eyes at the blonde, but since they were flanking him, he couldn't see it.

Sakura continued, "Yes... remember, we're just telling them we're here. We aren't _recruiting_ yet, remember? Just letting them know we will be."

"... oh yeah."

"Let's set up camp," Sasuke said a minute later, his eyes roving the forest, "I'm not used to being around all these trees- it's getting dark too fast."

This time, it was Naruto and Sakura who rolled their eyes at him. "Are you _nervous_, Sasuke-kun," Sakura asked with a wide grin.

Naruto, though she looked at him trying to bring him in on the joke, froze. _… kun? Kun? What the... but... I... but..._

---

**AN2**: More of an average length, too- just about 5.5 pages, not counting AN's. For those worried about this being a Sasu-Saku... don't be. While I don't 'hate' the pairing, I have never, and will never, be really comfortable with it, either. I listed this story as NaruSaku for a reason, and if it hasn't become clear by now, she is already totally in love with Naruto- and the stick-in-the-mud Uchiha isn't going to change it- even with his 'changes' from canon.

And on that note, let me say this now before I get too many (or any) flames on the subject: This story is VERY AU. Not only is it AU, it became that way EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO. All of Sasuke's life, he has been raised by his brother- not his family. The massacre never happened, and we know, now, in canon what we've guessed for a long time- Itachi never really has been, and probably never really will be, a 'bad guy'. While he's done some horrible, nasty things, he has always sought to do so 'for the greater good'. He's more an anti-hero than a villain- maybe even a real-hero.  
Because of that, Sasuke, while recognizable as the Sasuke we all know and love to hate, or whatever, will _not_ be the same person personality-wise. He's shy because he doesn't _know_ how to interact with people- he was raised by _one_ person, and that's about all he's ever known. In small groups, he's fine. In crowds? A clam talks more.

But he's still an honorable guy. :How will this affect the future? I can't say, yet. I don't even know. While I'm going to be using a lot of canon events, this story is sufficiently different that I can only use the ones that have an instigation outside of Konoha, or even Hi no Kuni in many cases, or predates the Kyuubi attack- and had it's relevant people survive. Plots involving Minato? Yes, they will be there too- but only after Naruto. Danzo mad at Hiruzen for not naming him Kage after Minato died? Or before? Not so much- Danzo is alive, but Hiruzen is not. No use being mad at him. (And sorry for the spoiler)

So, in short- yes, characters may very well seem OOC. That's not only intentional, for a story this AU, I believe it _has_ to be so to be believable- internal consistency and all. If you don't like it, you're free to stop reading at any time, though I wish you'd give it a shot and broaden your horizons a bit. To those able to wrap your minds around this and understand it- grats, you rate as smart enough to be worth my time to talk to. :D

Also, my apologies for the rant. I really just meant to say 'they're ooc because of the au'. And maybe I should have left it at that. :)

**Glossary: **Short one, this time- at least in terms of entries. (Note: This has been edited from the previous glossary, in which I screwed up Shika and Nara's definitions. Thanks to Ozsmose1991 for the correction :D)

**Nara: **"Oak" in Japanese. In the Narutoverse, they are the clan to which Shikamaru belongs. Their primary duties are the care of, and raising of, the deer around Konoha. There are some unique antidotes and other things made from the antlers of these deer, and while we don't know in canon if that is applicable to all deer or just the Nara deer, I am going with the Nara breed. In addition, they have been known as the caretakers of the woods and forest surrounding Konoha- which is one of the reasons they know everything. Their scouts knew where Tsunade and her family have been living since the cabin was built, etc etc- though they have had little to no contact with them.

In fact, the only ones the Nara _have_ had contact with, (no real spoilers, but if you're wanting it to be a surprise, stop reading) are the Yamanaka, Akamichi, and Inuzuka- the clans who took refuge in the forests and cities to the southeast of Konoha. (Which is the quadrant Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke have)

**Nara Shikaku:** The first Nara named in this story. Father of Shikamaru, he will essentially be the same as we know him in canon- but maybe a bit more cautious. He's had to protect his clan from a lot of different factions and groups, and has become slightly paranoid because of it. Shikamaru, though, will soon be convincing him to do otherwise- fear not there. (And for what it's worth, Shika is one of my fav characters, and I want to get him into the story asap)

**Recruiting Mission:** Just because I probably won't remember to explain this in future chapters- yes, there are a number of groups that went out- 4, to be exact. Each is taking a quadrant (look it up if you don't know exactly what I'm talking about- it is useful to know things like that) of the area surrounding Konoha. The first group, Naruto's, is taking the southwest- Quadrant 3 if you're looking at a map like a graph. (This is the area you would go through if heading to Suna or River country).

Hinata, Neji, and Itachi (won't that be a fun group) are taking the Northwest. Kiba, Hana (his older sister), and Hanabi are taking the Southeast- Hana and Kiba know that area well. (The Inuzuka took refuge in that area).

To the northeast are an unnamed Hyuuga, an unnamed Uchiha, and Shizune herself. (It is the area Shizune lived in when she was a child, I've decided)

While that info isn't 'terribly' useful, it might come up later. As stated in the chapter, the purpose is more to let people that will most likely be friendly that they are returning, while _not_ letting those who would be neutral or hostile that they are doing so. The groups will have varying degrees of success- and not just by groups, but by locale and individuals as well.

Expect at least another chapter to be dealing with this mission, probably two.


	7. Chapter 7: Trouble in Tanzuku Town

**A/N:** Here's your next, new, fresh, lovely, and pugnacious (look it up, it totally fits!), chapter of One Hour. In it, some stuff happens. And then some other things. It's got a touch of fluff, (both NaruSaku and one-sided SasuSaku) some plot development- a lot, actually, though again it's not always easy to see- and a bit of action at the end. :) Enjoy!

**Chap. 7 Trouble in Tanzuku Town**

Sakura should have known it wouldn't all be as smooth as it had been for the Nara meeting. Sure, they'd met up a number of smaller clan remnants, and most had seemed excited at the idea- some even eager, of returning to Konoha. Others, usually the younger leaders who had built new families and new lives, and didn't want to uproot them, were less enthusiastic. One man in particular, a white-haired man perhaps thirteen years older than Sakura and Naruto, seemed unwilling to uproot his family and their three children and force them to move to a ruined shell of his former village- a village he could barely remember himself. _And who can blame him? Even if his wife is an Inuzuka, I don't think they need to do that to their kids just now... maybe when they're a bit older._

Still, even that meeting with the Hatake family had gone much better than the meeting with the Daikoku family. What had once been a wealthy, if small, clan of merchant-ninja had, apparently, turned it's back on that world forever- at least the ninja part.

_Bastards using Konoha techniques to work with the Yakuza! Damn them!_ Of course, at the moment, Sakura knew better than to waste her breath screaming at them out loud- they were outnumbered about ten to one.

At first, the current 'Clan Head', one Daikoku Fureno, a corpulent, but otherwise fit man, had seemed very receptive to the idea. After about twenty minutes of discussion, however, he'd given his goatee a few scratches and a nod, at which point the trio of teenaged ninja had suddenly been surrounded by a mass of smelly, stinking, booze-laden humanity. Some were thugs, some just barely more, but enough had, according to Sasuke, active chakra networks to be a real problem- not to mention Fureno himself.

And so they had fled, as quickly as they could, right over Fureno's head and out his massive window.

_I have to hand it to Sasuke, too, though... even though he says he's never fought in a city, he's handling an urban landscape pretty well- better than I am, at least. I've never even _been_ in a city this size, though, so... at least Naruto's doing well._

The blonde in question, in fact, was currently a few blocks away, making Sakura's chest clench with worry. When she's suggested the idea that one of them needed to go get disguises, Sasuke had volunteered- but Naruto had been half-way out of their hiding place by the time she'd finished talking. His nonchalant 'be right back' had done little to ease her worry- nor had the three patrols looking for them that had passed, or the fact that the sun was getting low in the sky, or... _Hell, there's just too much to worry about! Stop it, Sakura- you know Naruto can take care of himself._

And she did. She knew it with every fiber of her being. But she worried anyway.

There it was- the spike of familiar chakra, from just across the street. He was using a Henge, that much was obvious, and carrying a bag full of what looked like groceries in an easy, casual manner toward the alley they were hiding in. Of course, being ninja, they weren't just hiding in a dumpster...

No, they were six stories up, crammed together in a big air-conditioning vent. It would have sat all three, but after Naruto had left, Sasuke had lain down on his stomach to get a better view, forcing her to lay down as well or sit on top of him. And with the circular passage forcing them to roll into each other... she was less than pleased with the arrangement. He, however, seemed not to be bothered in the least, at least judging by the quirk of his mouth when she'd first slid into contact with him after ten minutes of avoiding it like the plague.

Sakura's thoughts were brought back to the present suddenly, when a harsh male voice from down below shouted, "You! Where's your little friends, brat? The boss don't take kindly to people what break windows like that! You gotta go apologize, and maybe he won't string you up like the last guy!"

To his credit, Naruto didn't glance up at the vent where he knew his teammates were hiding. Instead, he calmly placed his bag of 'vegetables' on the dumpster lid beside him and turned around, putting his hands together.

She couldn't see what he did, exactly, and was barely able to tell he whispered something, much less able to hear it, but when the smoke cleared, there were seven men lying, twitching, on the ground, and Naruto was... not... "Naarruuutooooo!"

When the sultry, pig-tailed blonde looked up and over her shoulder at Sakura, she at least had the grace to look sheepish and a bit ashamed. There was another light poof of smoke, and then Naruto was walking quickly up the bricks toward their hidey-hole.  
"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan," he said breathlessly as he climbed in, handing the bag off to Sasuke, "it was the first thing I thought of. Pervy Sage gave me the idea when-"

The fist didn't meet his jaw _too _hard- she didn't want to attract attention, after all- but it was still enough to knock him on his ass, his stupid, blonde, baka head hanging out over the alley.

"... I _said_ I was sorry, Sakura-chan..."

As he righted himself, Sasuke was already removing the clothing underneath the vegetables and fruits, and moving down the passage a bit to a corner they'd seen. "I'm changing," he announced, apparently doing his best to ignore the confrontation between his teammates.

Sakura chose not to speak to Naruto for the rest of the day, even though it was killing her exactly _how_ he'd known her exact size- because the clothes, even the shoes, fit perfectly. In contrast, Sasuke's were too baggy, and Naruto's too tight- but neither would admit that the black-haired boy had taken the wrong set. It was painfully obvious to Sakura that Sasuke just didn't want to admit he was smaller- not shorter, just smaller- than Naruto. And for the blonde's part, he probably didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Or, at least, to take a chance at Sakura being further irritated with him.

After the sun had set, however, Sasuke finally spoke again, "We should probably get moving now. It's getting dark. Do we continue on to our last destination, or return to Konoha?"

"Ootori," Naruto corrected automatically, making Sasuke scowl. It had been a long-running thing during this trip- whether it was intentional or not. The Uchiha hadn't wanted to let the memory of a town he'd never known go, while Naruto was obviously prepared to do just that- or, at least, to burn the memory to the ground and let it rise again later.

"No fighting," she whispered at Sasuke when he drew a sharp breath, "let's go to the port. We might be able to take a boat back and save a lot of time returning."

The kunoichi didn't wait for Naruto's reply, much less Sasuke's, before she jumped lightly to the opposing wall and held on with chakra, watching for the others to exit.

Instead, she caught a glimpse of them both staring at her with wide eyes and awed expressions.

"It's just a jump, you baka!" she hissed, oblivious as to what had them so enthralled. _Probably just the stupid-genes each of them has feeding on each other and growing..._

* * *

Naruto would have totally agreed with that statement, if he'd heard it. He hadn't really _seen_ anything, but the way the girl's new jeans had stretched and moved when she made that jump got him thinking... and not with his brain.

He shook his head. _No time for that... there's work to be done._ With another small shake and a blink, where his eyes met Sasuke's own slightly glazed orbs for a moment, he jumped across the alley as Sakura had done and began moving at once up the building to the roof.

There was a soft flutter of cloth in the air, and then he felt the light impact of Sasuke just below him.

As one, the trio climbed the brick wall on hands and knees, using chakra to cling to a surface it would have at least taken climbing tools- or a lot longer- to ascend.

Within minutes, they were standing on the tar-and-gravel rooftop, hunched down below the lip of the building so that only someone higher than they were would be able to even catch a glimpse.

"That way's East," Sasuke pointed with a thumb over his shoulder, "So we should go that way- straight down that street. It's big enough it probably leads right out of the city and on our way."

Naruto peeked over the slightly wider lip of the capstones atop the low wall for a moment. "Yeah, looks like the road does go all the way. There's a lot of those thugs, though. Stay on the rooftops?"

Sakura and Sasuke both muttered agreement. "Right, then," the blonde continued, "I'm on point, Sasuke on rear."  
Sakura protested, "What, think you need to take care of-"

In response, Naruto slapped a hand over her mouth, and gave her a small glare, "No. But you're a much better medic than I am, and if we get attacked, we're going to need you. You chose to be a medic, so get used to being a medic." Then, with one more glance to Sasuke and then back to Sakura, he nodded and stood, jumping lightly to the capstone, and then across the narrow alley they'd come up before, to the building they'd been hiding in.

* * *

They had _almost_ made it out of town without being spotted. And of course, it was just pure, dumb luck that they had been. The one who'd raised the alarm had been picking his nose and flicked it upwards, watching it track across the gathering darkness, when he saw the three shadowy forms- two with spots of very distinctive color- flit across the sky over a side street. "Hey! I saw them! They're right-"

That was as far as he got, but the kunai imbedded in his throat was as good as an alarm to the other thugs.

Suddenly, it seemed to the three ninja as if the area was swarming with Yakuza. They had probably bribed all the small-time thugs in the area to bolster their numbers. Sasuke thought that was a very good idea, since, while he was confident in both himself and his teammate's abilities, he wasn't at all sure the three rookie ninja could fight their way out of what seemed like a small army of armed foes.

It was an age, perhaps, or maybe only a moment, given to the young trio to analyze their situation. Sasuke muttered one word, "Thirty."

Sakura, her brow knit tightly, her back pressing against either of the young men behind her, gripped each of her kunai tighter, "Not good odds."

Naruto, though, grinned a feral grin that would have scared the pinkette if she'd seen it. "Plenty to go around, then!"

The slightly overweight- but mostly just massive- Daikoku Fureno, now in battle gear similar to what the trio wore, muscled his way to the inside of the ring of men surrounding them, a satisfied smile on his face. "Well, well... seems we have some good news, after all. Don't be too upset you got caught, kids- my boys may not be ninja, but they're well-trained all the same- despite evidence to the contrary." Sakura's eyes alone drifted to one unkempt face next to the speaker. Sasuke, facing away from Fureno, didn't react at all.

Naruto, though, gave a short, bark-like chuckle, "You really think they're well-trained? Even if they were your average Chunin, at ten to one- they don't stand a chance against us."

Hearing that, delivered in what most would assume was a cocky tone, but Sakura knew was simply the truth as Naruto saw it, the knot in her stomach began to unclench. _He's right. Sasuke's been trained by Itachi, who was revered as a genius from a young age. Naruto and I were taught by two Sannin... and they're just about the best Kage-level ninja there are. We can handle this!_

Fureno, though, took it as not quite the truth it was, but somewhere between that and a boast. "Right, kid, right... So you say Konoha's going to come back."

Now, all three of the teens winced. _So much for keeping it a secret..._

"Well, that's all well and good. But we've got quite a comfortable life, down here. I don't think we need to be uprooting ourselves just to go scrabble in the ruins and get our asses kicked by Oto, or Iwa, or Kumo... now do you, boys?"

The crowd gave a loud cry of agreement, and Sakura could feel the excitement building in them, anticipation of a fight- or a slaughter. But even still, her resolve grew alongside her confidence.

"Enough talk," she growled, "are you going to try and attack us, or bore us to death?"

The big man gave a little, half-hearted grimace. "Tisk tisk. Pretty things like you shouldn't try and play at being ninja, you know? My boys and I can show you a good time- after we deal with your boy-toys."

Sakura just rolled her eyes.

"Right... you haven't got enough equipment between the lot of you to show me what I'd call a 'good time'."

Sasuke snickered, but Naruto didn't respond to Sakura. He, in fact, seemed to be still stuck on thoughts of what the group would do to his lifelong friend if they captured her alive- or maybe even dead.

He could feel the fury building inside him, knew it was the fox, knew it was coming out to play... and he didn't much care, as long as it didn't hurt Sakura- and maybe, _maybe_, he'd try and keep it from hurting Sasuke, too- but not too hard.

There was just a flicker of pain that ran across the blonde's face before his eyes shifted from near-violet in the darkness to a red similar to Sasuke's now-active Sharingan.

"Let's do this," he growled, his voice only barely recognizable.

With a nod, Fureno, now with a curious expression on his face as he watched the blonde intently, gestured his men forward.

And then there was no time to figure out what he was doing.

Four men, apparently eager to test themselves against a girl half their size, rushed Sakura at once.

It was evident none of the three were anything close to a shinobi. Her first palm-heel- still delivered with a kunai in her hand- shattered the first's jaw and nose in one blow, sending him reeling back into the mass of men behind him. The second was caught during the period she was retracting her hand from the first strike. Her foot caught him in the knee, and she barely had the attention to note that he would be walking in circles if his leg was really bent that way permanently.

The third was a little luckier- he got the kunai in her right hand in his eye. He dropped without a sound, and didn't move again.  
The fourth, a little more wary than the others, hung back until a second wave of men came from behind him. With backup, he felt confident enough to step into her reach again, his poorly-maintained kodachi in a two-handed grip. He swung, she ducked, knowing that his reach was too short to hit her comrades, and punched him in the solar plexus with both fists. They came away, each hand half-covered in blood, as he rocketed back into the group behind him, clearing the space in front of Sakura for a moment.  
Then she had time to exhale the breath she'd inhaled when the fight began.

Sasuke was fairing, if anything, better, although he wasn't delivering the same devastating blows the kunoichi was. His own strikes were just as accurate, perhaps more fluid, but his real strength lay in the jutsu he was unleashing against his opponents between nearly every strike. A man would rush in in some kind of attack. It didn't really matter what- the Sharingan let him step to the side, underneath, back, ahead- whatever it took to block it completely with minimal effort. With the attack blocked, Sasuke would make one, quick, strike of his own to throw his attacker off balance, then another hard strike to push him back just a little, allowing his two hands to blur into a set of seals. Phoenix Flowers, a few real Fireballs, one Dragon Fire to clear the area... his repertoire was not large, but it was very effective at clearing crowds.

To Sasuke's left, Naruto was getting dangerously far away, no longer able to effectively watch their flanks, or they able to watch his, but it didn't seem to matter. The raven-haired boy was able to catch glimpses of him with his Sharingan, and he was thoroughly impressed. While the boy's style was definitely unusual, seeming to rely mostly on kicks for reach and strength, it was undoubtedly effective. The attackers, armed mostly with knives, clubs, and shorter swords, had no more reach than the tall blonde's legs did. When they were close enough to strike a telling blow, they swiftly received a kick that would fell a normal man- as it did them- easily. His hands were kept mostly close to his chest and head, blocking what few strikes were swift enough to come before his flashing legs, but doing little damage on their own.

Then Sasuke noticed the pile of weapons behind the blonde. _He's disarming them every time he can- smart!_

Of course, that only seemed to irritate the men. After a minute or two's combat, the thugs wised up and rushed the blonde as one. Almost worried, Sasuke lost sight of him for a minute. Sakura hadn't seemed to notice, as she was currently throwing a large man at Fureno, who was now near the back.

But Sasuke needn't have worried too much.

The men piled on top of Naruto, but once again, they underestimated the strength of a ninja. Anyone who could utilize chakra in even the tiniest way could enhance their physical strength- the techniques Sakura was using were the pinnacle of that ability- but it was something different, something more, that threw the men off of the blonde. _I only wish I'd seen what it was..._

Nine men flew outwards in every direction, including one that flew through the narrow gap between Sasuke and Sakura, while Naruto stood, his hands open into claws at his hips, roaring to the heavens.

The sound was... well, Sasuke would never admit it to himself. Not ever.

The men, at least, those that were able, suddenly turned and bolted. Fureno himself took three steps back, stammered out, "Y- you learned your l-l-lesson. Get out of here! We don't want nothin' to do with Konoha!" and then turned tail himself.

Those that were conscious but unable to run began to beg for mercy.

It took a few seconds for Sakura to realize there were no more attacks. She'd heard the roar, known it was Naruto, but hadn't realized exactly what it had done. So she was a bit surprised when she turned to see him, face still raised to the moon in a now-silent roar, as his hands shook. "N- Naruto?"

She stepped toward him, calmly replacing one kunai in her holster, but was stopped by Sasuke's hand on her shoulder. "Wait."

She hesitated, now noticing more than she had at first.

Naruto's hair was a bit longer, a bit spikier. When he turned toward them, she gasped. His whiskers- she'd always thought them cute- were wider, more defined. They looked like the whiskers of a predator. His eyes, hard to see with the moonlight behind him, seemed very different, but in a way she couldn't see. Then, so fast she wondered if she'd imagined it, his posture relaxed, the whiskers returned to normal, and Naruto groaned, "Sakura..." and then collapsed.

---

**AN2**: I don't have much to say this time- just please, PLEASE, review if you liked it- even if it's just to say "Nice chappie" or whatever, it's still more encouragement. If I'm making time to write while packing up to move, the least you can do is type a few words, right? :) Especially since this is the third chapter in not-very-long... :D

And now that your Weekly Guilt Trip is over... your glossary!

**Glossary: **

**Tanzaku**: This is a town frequently seen in canon, though it's usually glossed over. It's a gambling den, but mostly just a normal town. It's also where Naruto learned the Rasengan, met Tsunade, etc etc. (I believe. That may have been Otafuku.... but I don't think so, I think Otafuku's a Fanfic town :D)

In this universe, the town is actually considerably larger than it was in canon, and is currently the largest single city in Hi no Kuni. That is largely due to the fact that the Yakuza control it completely. They pay a bit in 'dues' to the other hidden villages, but otherwise rule it with an iron fist. They aren't totally cruel- no where near Gato, for instance- but they don't let things slide, either. Yes, Fureno was actually dealing with the Yaks. And yes, that _will_ make a big difference later. As will the fact that he escaped.

**Daikoku:** Currently, a clan acting as enforcers and bodyguards for the Yakuza in Tanzuku Town. Their current clan head, however, is actually a high-up member of the mob. Used to be a respected, if not large, member of Konoha. Their clan was known for both good business deals and skilled shinobi.

**Daikoku Fureno**: I've changed this minor character significantly from canon. He was a wise, skilled teacher to a number of people (including Sasuke and Itachi) pre-series start, but in this one, is a wise, intelligent businessman- with a taste for money and food, esp from less-than-legal sources. He's a high-ranking member of the Yakuza, and head of the Daikoku family. He doesn't run Tanzuku single-handedly, but is in control of a large district of it. You'll be seeing more of him later. (Next chapter, I think)


	8. Chapter 8: Homeward Bound

**A/N:** First, thank you SO much to those of you who have read, favorited, story alerted, author alerted, fav authored, etc, and most importantly, REVIEWED! You guys are the cream of the crop. :)

(I would also like to mention, for those that have done so- I like to respond to reviews. It helps if you have a profile so I can do so- even if you leave a name, I can't reply to 'no one', and won't pad my word count by reviewing in-chapters)

This chapter is kind of short, only about four pages, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised anyway. It's got the 'rest' of the character development I had intended for Sakura and Sasuke on this mission, (it just didn't work out how I wanted it to previous to this, but it works well here), as well as a bit of Naruto x Kyuubi interaction, which I'm sure some of you have been eagerly awaiting. Yay for stuff!

**Chap. 8** **Homeward Bound**

Sasuke was silent for an entire day after leaving Tanzuku. When Sakura volunteered to carry their teammate- still unconscious three hours later- for a time to give him a break, he had said nothing. Just as he had when they'd first fled the scene, of course. _In fact, now that I think about it, the stuck-up prick hasn't said anything since we started that fight with the Yakuza... well... that they started with us, anyway. Is he still thinking about it? About what happened to Naruto? And for that matter, what _did_ happen to him? Was that the fox that roared? And if it did, how come he's still out of it almost sixteen hours later?_

"Sasuke," she called, and then repeated herself at a higher volume when he didn't react. _I'd throw something at him to get his attention, but I don't want to hit Naruto..._

"Sasuke!"

Finally, after the third call, he halted on a wide tree-branch and turned his head to look over Naruto's hunched form at her while she took the last jump toward the pair.  
"You need to stop. You're going to wear yourself out carrying him. Either let me take a turn, or we rest."

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the kunoichi at once, "Doctor's orders. You're good, and I'm glad to have you with us on this mission, but you aren't a medic. I need to check out Naruto, and you need to take a break. Go..." she glanced around for a moment, trying to think of some errand she could send him on out in the wilderness, "go look for some water or something- I need a refill, and I could use some to help clean our injuries, too. They've already gone too long without healing."

Black eyes bored into hers for a full minute before he gave the faintest of nods, then bent to sit their teammate on the branch, leaning against the thick trunk of the tree. _A day from home at this pace, if we can keep it up. We haven't seen any sings of pursuit in six hours... we might have just made it._

She began checking over the blonde's limp form as soon as Sasuke was out of sight. His injuries, as she was swiftly growing accustomed to, were long-gone. Only a few scars from the deepest remained, and she was sure that those would be gone before they reached the ruins. _I've only seen two injuries deep enough to scar permanently... that one on his leg when the bone came out when he was six, and when he shattered his skull when he was ten... and he was up and moving again the next day after both of those, even though Shishio forbade him from any such thing._

_This time he only had a couple of dozen minor cuts, maybe one that would have required real medical care on a normal person. But he's been out since just after the Kyuubi... or whatever that was..._

Exhausted by their long trip and what had seemed to be an endless flight from Tanzuku, Sakura was glad Naruto required only the barest minimum of chakra to care for his needs. _Means there's more for me and Sasuke._ But while she was healing her own relatively minor injuries, the worst a pulled tendon in her left wrist, her keen mind was pulled repeatedly to her oldest friend.

_I just don't get it... _

_There's no sign of injury, he seems like he's in an alpha state of sleep. His eyes even move once in a while, though it doesn't look like REM... so why won't he wake up?_

_And then there's that..._

A grimace had crossed his face, gone before she was sure it was there. If it hadn't been happening every hour or two since he'd gone under, she would have dismissed it.

_It almost looks like he just got hurt. But there was no flinch, no movement aside from a flicker in his face. Stab a man with a needle while he's asleep, and even if he's a heavy sleeper he'll move his arm. But this..._

Her musing was disturbed by the return of Sasuke an hour and a half later.

"Sakura," he said in a low, quiet voice she was surprised to hear at all, "there's a stream about five hundred meters northwest."

She nodded, noting that his hair was sticking up slightly less than usual, "You took a bath?"

He nodded, "It's been a few days. You could use one too."

She stiffened. _Bastard... I don't care if you _were_ raised practically alone... you just don't say that to a girl!_ "I will... don't peak. Let me know if he wakes up. I'll take care of your injuries after I get back, if you need me to."

He shook his head, "No... I only got cut twice. I'll be fine."

She nodded, looked again at Naruto with a confused expression, then moved off in the direction he'd indicated.

Finding the stream wasn't difficult- it was exactly where he'd said. _Must be nice to be a genius, and be able to tell things like that without thinking about it..._

_Stop it, Sakura,_ she scolded herself, _don't be petty. You're plenty smart, and could do the same thing if you tried._

Knowing better than to argue with herself, the girl sighed and glanced around. _No signs of human life anywhere around... and it seems like there hasn't been in a long time. Probably safe._

She nodded to herself once more, and began to strip as quickly and efficiently as possible. While doing so one-handed, she also pulled out a small scroll from her medical pouch, bearing the kanji for 'private', and laid it down beside her clothes, which were folded and stacked neatly, underwear on top. _Just in case..._

She then waded into the small pool that had formed around two large rocks, and dunked herself under the water a couple of times.

As she washed herself, Sakura kept her eyes tuned for any sound of wildlife or humans approaching, _even though I'd never here a real ninja over the water,_ and kept one eye on her clothing. _Don't know yet if Sasuke-kun's a pervert... good thing Naruto's out. No telling what he's like now, after eight years with Jiraiya-sama._

All too quickly, though, the water, chilly but not cold, had done all it could to wash her clean of sweat and dirt, and ease what soreness it could. _I can't wait to take a nice, long bath in the cabin when we get back..._

Rising, she took another quick glance around, then slid over to the small scroll and unsealed it, revealing a clean set of underwear. _My last one... guess I estimated right. Too bad we haven't had time to wash any, I hate breaking into my emergency supplies. Still, better than wearing dirty- for the third day in a row._

Moving herself behind the largest of the rocks she'd hidden behind while in the stream, Sakura began to dress as quickly as she could, pulling out the uniform she'd worn on the first day of the journey. Similar to the first, it still smelled a great deal better, even after having been on the bottom of her pack for weeks- they had taken that day easy, rather than having been traveling on sunny roads or fleeing from murderous gangsters.

* * *

"Can we go yet?" were the first words the Uchiha said to her when she arrived back on the branch.

Sakura gave a small 'hmph'. "I suppose. I'll take him this time," she interrupted as he reached out to Naruto again, "You really do need a break."

He gave her a look that said quite plainly, "you don't look like you can carry him more than ten feet".

She returned it with a glare. "I'm a kunoichi, remember? I've lugged his sorry ass around before, I can do it again."

He turned away, the corners of his thin mouth turning down.

"Look," she said, by way of appeasement, "if I get tired around noon you can have a turn. But we're most of the way back, so I'm pretty sure I can make it all the way."

He nodded, grabbing her and Naruto's packs before she could protest.

_Sometimes chivalry goes to far, Sasuke..._

* * *

It was cold, dank, and smelly... and, of course, it was a place Naruto had grown long-familiar with since he had left on his journey with Jiraiya eight years ago.

_Kyuubi... what do you want now?_

He knew that outside his mind, time was continuing to pass. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't, but after the first few trips into his mindscape, he'd learned to tell the difference. It was just... _something_. Something about the way the water dripped off the algae-encrusted pipes, maybe. Or the particular odor of the sewage. Regardless, there was something- and he always knew. Like he knew that he was being carried, most of the way at least, by someone he knew he could trust. _Sasuke or Sakura_.  
He could guess what had happened after he collapsed. Sakura or Sasuke- likely the former- had picked him up, slung him over their shoulders, and the trio had fled Tanzuku as quickly as they could go. If they were smart, they'd flee in a direction other than where they were headed. _But I donno if Sakura or Sasuke ever had that kind of training... I think Sakura mostly learned jutsu and fighting. And Sasuke learned evasion and stealth too, but I don't know if he learned how to escape from people hunting you- just how to be a hunter._

But it didn't matter to him too much. _As long as we're moving, we're safe. Even if we bring trouble to Ootori, it won't be anything we can't handle... I hope._

Shaking his head, he started moving down the long-familiar corridors. Left, left, left, left, right, left, straight, left... the fact that he should have been moving in circles had occurred to him when he made a trip into his mind after doing that... thing... to Ero-sennin. _After giving him that scar... when I swore to myself I'd never lose control again._ But it didn't seem to matter, because after another square of right turns to follow the left, he found himself staring at the hugely tall, narrow-only-by-proportion gates that barred the Kyuubi from escaping.

The deep, growling, rasping, booming voice of the Kyuubi wa Kitsune no Yokai rolled from the darkness, causing the hackles on the blonde's neck to stand up, despite the apparent casualness of the words, "Hey, brat... what is it you want this time?"

The 'brat' in question stopped seven steps from the cage and looked inward, his own eyes shadowed in the wan, flickering torchlight. _He's far back, can't see his eyes... unless he's close and they're closed. Can't take my chances either way._

Naruto had learned _that_ lesson rather well, when he was eleven. The very first time he'd gone in to see the fox of his own volition, he'd strayed too close and the fox had lashed out with a mighty claw. Although the appendage could not fit through the bars, one claw could- and it had missed him by a millimeter as he threw himself backwards.

Neither he nor Jiraiya had been able to guess what would happen if the fox killed him while in his mind, but the two had agreed early on that it was best not to take any chances.

"I don't want anything, you stupid fox," he murmured at last, "I didn't come in here by choice. What do _you_ want?"

The great beast chuckled, causing Naruto's jacket and hair to flutter. "Me? I want _out_, of course."

Naruto almost smiled. "Out? You know that ain't happening. Best give up now."

The shinobi was _almost_ able to stop the flinch when the beast, hundreds of times bigger than a human, flung itself into the bars, rebounding with a crash accompanied by the smell and sound of sizzling flesh.

The Kyuubi roared, but Naruto laughed it off, "C'mon, ya dumb fox! How many times are you gonna try that before you give up?"

Now, he could see one eye, opened up to just a slit. "As many times as it takes, wormling."  
There was silence for a while, maybe hours, before the fox spoke again, "You used my power again. You know the price."

Naruto nodded, "Is that why you called me here?"

"I didn't call you... but it will serve to pass the time until my eventual escape, no?"

Shrugging, Naruto replied, "If you say so. Let's have it, then. Do your worst."

Now, the fox laughed for real, "My _worst_? Boy, do you have any idea how easy I've been going on you? I've only shown you bits and pieces of my life... shall I show you, this time, what I did to your beloved Konoha? Show you each and every father, mother, brother, sister, son, and daughter I mangled beneath my claws, or killed with a look? Made their hearts explode in their chests just from the _fear_ of what I would do to them? No, boy... I don't want to kill you, not if it means my death."

"Fine," Naruto replied, suddenly sullen, "do whatever, then. It's not like I haven't seen enough shit to drive most people mad, anyway. You're never gonna break me like this."

Some would be surprised that a demon as prideful and powerful as the Nine-Tailed Fox would- or even could- snicker. But that was the closest analog Naruto could come up with for the sound that came next. "Oh, brat, you really have no idea... every image I show you is just one drop in the bucket you carry with your fragile, human psyche... it all adds up, boy, one drop at a time..."

Before Naruto could respond further, the stream of horrific images began.

_Damn, that really does look like Ero-sennin described Konoha... Son of a..._

And then there was no room in him for thinking. Only disgust, agony, and despair, as he was forced to watch himself do the most unimaginable things to his fellow man.

---

**AN2**: As always, please review and all- I don't want to whore myself out and say "if I don't get at least xx reviews, no new update". That's just wrong- not to mention stupid. But I _will_ say, "Hey, guys- it's largely due to the massive increase in readers/reviewers/favorites that have gotten me motivated enough for this story to post FOUR chapters in TWO WEEKS(ish). So if you want that to continue... you know what to do. :)

**Glossary: **

**Kyuubi wa Kitsune no Yokai:** This is, more or less, the 'proper' way to say "Nine-tailed fox-demon".

Direct translation, for those unaware or new to the Narutoverse, Kyuubi=Nine Tails. (Kyuu=Nine, Bi=Tails) wa = inclusive bridge. Sort of like the comma for "Brilliant, yellow sunshine". Kitsune=Fox. (Or, more accurately, fox spirit) no= 'of', although it can also mean 'the' and similar things. Mostly it's used to link adjectives and the nouns they describe. Yokai=Demonic Energy, also straight-up "Demon". While the literal translation of demon is "Oni", this is something done in official translations, for whatever reason. If I had translated it professionally, I would have been saying, "The demonic nine-tailed fox", which is as close to the literal translation as I can get. The difference is, of course, minimal- but it is there.

For purposes of this story, I will mostly be referring to the beast as "Kyuubi" or "The Kyuubi". While I do agree with many fans/fanfic writers that Kyuubi is _not_, in fact, the beast's name, I don't think we'll ever see it in canon- if it has one at all. Now that it's been revealed that (_**SPOILER ALERT!)**_ there are

'ten' tailed beasts (Madara wants to use the tenth to change his eye into the moon, or whatever), it became even less likely.  
I will not speculate on the nature of the ten-tails, (aside from a wild guess that it may be a human) so don't ask. It probably won't come up in the story, unless it's revealed in canon very quickly.

**MORE MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD! Read at your own risk!**

And on the subject of 'Spoilers' for the manga... so Hinata gets the first confession. Most of us know that. (And that she survived or was resurrected by Pein) Many now, probably, also know that Sakura has confessed.  
Here's my 'official' take on it:  
"It's about damned time!"

But with some important caveats: One, I am not surprised by Naruto's reaction. While, on the one hand, I wish he'd just taken it at face value, he has shown in Shippuden, especially recently, that he is _not_ an idiot. Do you guys know what the most common sign of a human lying is? The most common 'tell'? They look down and left. Hinata did it during the fight with Neji during the Prelims. Sakura did it... when she confessed. (At least during one panel)

Would Naruto know that? I donno. But I wouldn't put it past him. And even if he didn't, he knows Sakura _really_ well. Does he believe her? Partially, I'm sure. Just like she's 'partially' in love with him. But is that enough? Probably not.  
Will Hinata win in the end? I can't say.  
But I can say that Sakura will have to wait a good while yet before she gets a real chance- and prove to Naruto that, while she's 'over' Sasuke, she still loves the bastard- but loves Naruto _more_. Unless that happens, I can't see him ever being with her in canon. (As much as I'd like to see him end up with both Hinata _and_ Sakura- and maybe Ino, Tenten, Temari, Ayame, and Anko, Shizune, etc etc etc while we're at it- and don't forget Shion, Koyuki, etc etc...)

So! Rant mostly over, just thought I'd share my thoughts in a public place for you guys to pick apart. Feel free to unleash ' T E H F L A M E Z' at me for it, or not. :)


	9. Chapter 9: No Health like Mental Health!

**A/N:** First, thank you SO much to those of you who have read, favorited, story alerted, author alerted, fav authored, etc, and most importantly, REVIEWED! You guys are the cream of the crop. :)

Secondly, I am **so**_** sorry**_ that it's been so long- but you get an extra long chapter, at least. (10 pages single spaced- so about 20 in a book) All I can say is, moving, losing your job (twice!), moving again, and trying to get a decent job is a bitch. /shrug  
Ah well, at least I'm still writing. Don't ever expect me to abandon a project if you haven't heard me say it before- I don't always get them out/complete in a timely fashion, but I don't start a story unless it's good enough to finish.  
So... again, sorry sorry about the wait, but... enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 9 No health like mental health... or something.**

"Sakura! What happened?" the voice, much to the young kunoichi's relief, was calm, collected, and very familiar- the voice of her mother-figure and teacher, Senju Tsunade.

"I... I don't know what's... wrong... with him..." she panted, barely able to force out the words. _Damn it, Sakura,_ she scolded herself, _you shouldn't be this weak! You've trained for this your whole life, and it's... it's _Naruto_!_

But as disgusted with herself as she felt for doing it, as soon as the older woman reached out a hand to take the blonde boy off her back, Sakura breathed an immense sigh of relief.

"Come on," the older medic said brusquely as she began retracing her steps back toward the almost-complete hospital, "tell me everything that happened. Don't leave anything out."

The blonde woman had to suppress a sigh when Sasuke, trailing quietly behind them, began to speak in a soft, firm voice. He related the entire mission history, from front to back, and omitting no detail, even those he'd caught with his developing sharingan.

_And that's either a piece of great news, or horrible news, depending on how loyal to his brother this kid is..._  
He'd finished shortly after they arrived on the third floor and Tsunade had lain the teen in one of the beds there. Without bothering to ask Sakura's opinion as a medic, the older woman began a complete checkup, not noticing the look of slight annoyance that crossed her pupil's face.

Of course, for her part, Sakura was simply too exhausted to care more than a little.

"Well," Tsunade said a few minutes later, as she sat herself on the side of the bed Naruto was laying in, "he's perfectly healthy, physically. It seems his tenant is still taking care of him. Did you notice the REM patterns, Sakura?"

As she looked over at her pupil, she was unsurprised to see the younger woman half-asleep. "Hai, shishio... he started exhibiting the signs of it shortly after we stopped to take a ten minute break. I haven't been able to see very well, carrying him, but... I'd say roughly half the time."

Tsunade nodded, turning her head back toward the comatose boy, while Sasuke asked, "What was that? The thing that... well, it wasn't _human_. Whatever roared."

A lesser man would have quailed under the glares both medics shot him, but he didn't react visibly at all. "Are you saying Naruto's not human?" Sakura eventually ground out, her teeth clenched despite the effort it was costing her.

He shook his head vehemently, "No! I don't mean that. I mean... I've been hearing things. Rumors. Words my brother didn't ever teach me... Jinchuuriki. Biju. And they always seem to be talking about _him_."

Neither woman missed the nod of the raven-haired boy's head. "I just... I just want to know what they're talking about. What's going on. My brother never kept secrets from me, and I'm not used to not knowing what's happening around me."

Tsunade snorted. "Kid, you're going to have to get used to that if you want to stay in a ninja village. Secrets are what makes our world turn."

She was silent a few moments while the Uchiha glowered, then asked suddenly, apparently unashamed at her rudeness, "Sakura. Can we trust him with the secret?"

Taken aback for many reasons, Sakura was forced to analyze a lot of information very quickly before she had her answer.

_Is he trustworthy? He seemed okay on the mission. A good ninja. But I don't know him very well. Why does he even care? Why did Tsunade-sama ask me? Why didn't she just decide, like she usually does? If I tell Sasuke, will the other Uchiha who don't know find out? Bah, they already know... damned Fugaku. But what about the others? And if he finds out, how will he treat Naruto? How will the others? Will he hate him? Will he be jealous? Want to kill him? I... I just don't..._

"It's all right," Sasuke said suddenly, breaking the silence, "I don't need to know that badly. If it's something you have to think about... don't tell me. It's not a secret once you tell it."

Suddenly, Sakura had her decision.

"Tell him."

Tsunade looked at her apprentice for a moment, then turned her chocolate eyes on the boy standing near the door. "The Kyuubi no Yokai that destroyed Konohagakure is sealed inside of Naruto. He must have tapped into it's power somehow... and beyond that, I don't know exactly what happened. We will have to wait for Jiraiya to return from the former Capitol to see if he knows anything... unless Naruto wakes up before then, of course."

Sasuke, apparently unprepared for both the gravity of the secret and the blunt, to-the-point manner in which Tsunade had given it, sank back against the door frame, weak-kneed.

"He's... he's got the Fox inside him? What if it... gets out?"

Tsunade shook her head, "Jiraiya and our Sensei were- and are- two of the finest Seal Masters this world has ever seen. The one who sealed the beast inside Naruto was so far beyond those two, that even though the old pervert has been studying the seal his entire life, he's never come close to really understanding it. If we can't trust that man's work... we can't trust anyone's."

The older medic should have expected the question, of course.  
Both of the teens asked at once, "Which man?"

Of course, Tsunade wasn't prepared for the answer. At least, she wasn't prepared for _one_ of the two to know. Undoubtedly, she could trust Sakura. She could probably also trust her apprentice's opinion of the Uchiha boy... _but then again, she is hormonal, and the Uchiha aren't exactly known for being entirely honest. Shit... not like I have much of a choice now. But I can hold off for a little while, at least._  
"I'll... tell you later. Naruto needs to know before I go blabbing to anyone else- and I have to talk to Jiraiya about it, make sure my guesses are right and all. So just... let it go for now, would ya? I've got some ideas I wanna try on him."

Signs of frustration crossed each teens' face, but Sakura knew arguing with the senior medic would be pointless, and Sasuke followed her lead without question. "All right, Sakura," Tsunade continued, "We currently have a representative of the Yamanaka in the camp. He's not the Clan Head, but he's acting with the head's authority in this. I want you to go fetch him- their family techniques may be just what Naruto needs, if we dare risk it."

Puzzled, the pinkette nodded, then turned without another word and left the room, the Uchiha following aimlessly after.

* * *

Sasuke was still walking beside Sakura when she tracked down Yamanaka Inoichi two hours later. He hadn't said a word, so she'd been left to speak to the various Uchiha, Hyuuga, and others in the camp until she found one who could point her in the right direction.

She found the tall, yellow-blonde haired man standing away from a group of younger Uchiha and Hyuuga, arms folded across his chest, with his expression shifting rapidly between annoyance and amusement.

"Excuse me, are you Yamanaka Inoichi?"

He turned to look down at her from where he was standing on a rock, and his expression changed at once to guarded puzzlement. "I am... what does the apprentice of the famous Senju Tsunade of the Sannin want with me? I told her already, I'm not ready to make the decision yet."

Sakura shook her head slowly, "It's not that, sir, she actually sent me to ask you for some help. We've got a patient- a friend of mine, actually. He's in a coma-like state, and we were wondering if..."

"If I could help him? I probably could... but I'd rather my daughter do it. She needs the practice."

Confused when he didn't immediately call out someone's name, or make any movement to go find the girl in question, Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who returned her look blankly, then asked a moment later, "Is... is she here?"

Visibly trying not to roll his eyes, the man pointed with one finger toward the tight knot of teens nearby, who were all talking loudly. "She's in there. Probably at the center, knowing her..."

Confused further still, Sakura gave him a blank look as well, then started hesitantly toward the crowd.

"Ino! It's time to go!" Inoichi called after Sakura had taken a few steps. Distantly, she heard a reply of, "Coming!" but couldn't pinpoint which of the crowd it was.

It was hard for Sakura, at first, to decide if she liked the tall, shapely blonde that eventually separated herself from the throng (which disbanded as they walked away). She was very pretty, in Sakura's opinion, and seemed very sure of herself. Those were good traits in a kunoichi, as far as the medic was concerned. What she was a little less sure about was how flighty and unconcerned with things that _mattered_- like Naruto's health- and more concerned with what Sasuke thought of her outfit and her hair.

As they walked, Inoichi explained to his daughter, with Sakura filling in the gaps, everything he had been told about Naruto's condition, and that she was the one who would fix it, if she could.

However, the blonde simply didn't seem to care. She smiled and nodded, said everything exactly right- but her eyes were only on Sasuke, and every time Sakura or Inoichi would stop talking, the other teen girl would immediately ask the black-haired boy still walking in pointed silence with them a leading question about either herself or himself- usually her.

As they neared the hospital room where Naruto and Tsunade were, Sakura's opinion was most definitely shifting towards 'don't like' when it came to Yamanaka Ino, however. _Hell, I'll never get the echo of her screechy laugh out of my ears! And if Sasuke can't tell it's fake, then he can _have_ her!_

As soon as the four of them entered Naruto's hospital room, though, Ino's demeanor changed at once.

"So that's him, then? The one in the coma?"

Sakura was actually pretty surprised- she didn't think the blonde girl was paying enough attention to know what was expected of her. She looked around the room, glancing at Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya, before returning her attention to the blonde on the hospital bed. "Well, if you're sure, Daddy... I'm not going to back down."

The elder Yamanaka smiled softly and nodded, then looked around the room. "Senju-sama, can we clear the room except for myself and my daughter? I'd rather she didn't have any... distractions... while she worked."

Everyone in the room caught the subtle shift of his eyes toward Sasuke except, apparently, Ino herself. At least, the girl didn't react to it at all, and Sakura was _sure_ that if it had been her own father making that kind of comment, she would have been blushing horribly.

"Can... can I stay, please?" Sakura heard herself asking, "It's just- I've never seen a procedure like this, and I'm curious."

Inoichi surprised Sakura again by looking to his daughter for permission. The blonde turned her aqua eyes onto the pinkette with an appraising look- for the first time since she'd walked out of the crowd almost an hour earlier. The eyes raked up and down her, but Sakura wasn't sure what she was thinking- the other girl's face was an unreadable mask. "All right. Just keep quiet and don't bug me. It's your boyfriend's mind that'll be in danger if you do, not mine."

Tsunade shot a glance at her youngest apprentice, but apparently the girl was so worried about the boy they were all close to that she didn't even think to contradict the 'boyfriend' title. "Well," she said with some authority, "everyone out, then. Yes, you two, you old pervert," she said as she caught Jiraiya by the collar, "no ogling the other blonde- Naruto would be disgusted if he saw you checking him out like that."

Despite her worry, Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the reaction her father figure gave, as he vehemently denied the accusations with, "it wasn't _him_ I was checking out!"

Inoichi's glare followed the still-protesting Sannin out the door before it was shut quietly, leaving only Sakura, Inoichi, Ino, and the comatose Naruto on the bed.

"Whenever you're ready, Ino. I'll be watching."

The girl nodded and put one hand over Naruto's forehead while she stared down at his face. "Will you catch me, Daddy?"  
"Of course," he replied, and moved to a position behind her, pulling the lone chair beside him with one foot. "Miss Haruno, remember what Ino said, please. Don't make any noise, don't disturb her at all. She's never actually done this, so don't make it harder on either of them, please."

Sakura moved over to the lone window and leaned against the sill, squirming a bit to get as comfortable as possible, then nodded. "Ready."

Ino glanced once at her father, then Sakura, then down to Naruto's face again, before murmuring, "Starting the Jutsu."

As far as Sakura could see, nothing was happening. There were no hand signs, no glow of chakra, no change at all aside from the blonde closing her eyes. Then, just as she was starting to wonder if anything was going to happen at all, Ino slumped into her father's waiting arms.

* * *

Her first impression was darkness and silence.

A darkness so deep, she thought at first she was underground.

A silence so stifling, she thought she had gone deaf.

But no mind was empty, she had been taught, and so the consciousness known as Yamanaka Ino waited, watched, and listened.

_There... just a hint of light, up above... and is that... a cricket?_

As each sound or sight came into her awareness, more followed, faster and faster. Soon, other senses began to join them. First, smell- the smell of wildflowers, growing things, something musky Ino couldn't identify, and... _moonlight? How can I smell moonlight? But that's what it reminds me of..._

And then hints of taste as she inhaled for the first time, her mind-self coming into being around her as she did so. The air- if it was air at all- was fresh, clean, but there was a quality to it Ino found distinctly unpleasant. It was nothing she could smell, as far as she knew, but the taste of it on her tongue was bitter, almost acrid. She spit once, trying to remove it, but did no good. And as the moonlight became truly visible, the feel of grass- dew-covered and long- came to her unshod feet, and a breath of cool air- still as fresh and musky as before- tickled around her body.

It was that awareness that made the rest of this new 'reality' solidify into Ino's mind- she was in someone else's head, about to explore the deepest reaches of their psyche- a total stranger was about to lay out their mind and every secret to her. That wasn't what made the girl uncomfortable- it was more the knowledge that, while he would never know she was there on a conscious level, her father had informed her that _some_ part of the subject of a Mind Walk _knew_ the person walking them. There was always a two-way transfer of information. Maybe he wouldn't know with his conscious mind- she had to hope so. Because she was in, there was no backing out now.  
So she had to prepare herself.

The girl took a deep breath, eyes closed, then opened them as she exhaled. _All right, Ino girl. Time to get going... and hope you don't run into whatever his brain is doing at the moment. He might be kind of cute, but there's no way you want a total stranger to see you naked._

For what seemed like hours, the Mind-Walker explored the paths and lanes of Naruto's mind. Each path or road through the beautiful forest was a way of thinking, a set of beliefs, or a category of thoughts. Some were less organized than others, as she found when she mistakenly wandered into the group she would later come to call Naruto's "Girls I met on my journey" section. The grove in question was one of the most beautiful, and there was tinkling music and a sweet, flower smell engulfing the region as she approached. Being something of a botanist herself, Ino couldn't resist the allure of the strange, exotic plants in the area. But as she looked into each one, there was a reflection in the gathering dew of a girl. Some were less clothed than others, and at first, Ino was intrigued. _What kind of girl interests you, Naruto? Maybe that will help me get you out..._  
But the more she looked, the more she saw a most unusual- to her mind, anyway- occurrence. No matter how beautiful the girl- or woman- in question, no matter how strong her advances- subtle or otherwise- Naruto never seemed to show more than passing interest. It was obvious he thought about them, or they wouldn't be here. But it was almost like he didn't actually _desire_ any of them. And that, as Ino decided, was just crazy.

But then she stumbled onto a memory that wasn't really a memory at all, but more a half-real dream. Ino caught only a glimpse of pink hair and a lot of bare skin- some wrapped in a towel, some not- before the flower wilted. Ino scowled. _Damn, so he likes the pinky... but he's got a pretty disciplined mind to hide it from me just when it was getting good._  
"I'd appreciate it if you told me what you were doing here," a rough, almost angry voice said from a few feet behind her.

Ino, of course, jumped and spun around as only a ninja could do. Her hand went immediately to her kunai pouch, only to remember that she was totally naked when her hand struck her bare thigh.

Her next instinct- even before looking at the person she was now facing- was to cover herself up.

But if the blonde boy- or young man- standing before her was any indication, he wasn't _looking_ at all. He was, in fact, glaring straight at Ino's eyes.

"I said," he repeated, his voice a titch louder, "what are you _doing_ here?"

Ino couldn't stop the stammer any more than she could stop the sudden blush- that started between her breasts and moved rapidly upward- "I- I, uh- I- I'm just- are- are you Naruto?"

Then she noticed something that made her blush turn darker still- he was just as naked as she was, though he seemed to care a lot less, if the arms folded across his chest rather than hiding his...

_Oh sweet Kami! Is that... Holy shit!_

The blonde boy's left eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch. "Yes. I repeat- what are you doing here? And who are you?"

This time, Ino had the wherewithal to turn around, lest she distract herself further. "I'm Yamanaka Ino. I'm here... to wake you up. You've been unconscious for a few days, and your friend- that pink-haired girl- was getting worried." Before he replied, Ino got yet another shock.

It appeared she'd been wrong about him not being interested in other girls, if the flower she was now staring at was any indication.

It had opened and revitalized itself, though the dew was now showing something besides the pink-haired girl. _Is that... it is! Pervert!_  
The view in question? A slow slide of the eyes from Ino's hair, down her back, and to her buttocks, where they paused for a few seconds, then continued to slide down her legs.

"You shouldn't be here. It's not safe. Go back, tell Sakura-chan I'll be fine in a day or two, and not to worry."

At first, Ino was torn.

It was obvious that he was who he said he was, of course. There was no hiding yourself in your mind, unless you were crazy enough to believe all your self-lies. It was probably also true that he knew his own mind better than she did. After all, she was knew to Mind-Walking, and he'd been living here- sort of- for his entire life. But still...

"No."

There was silence until she turned around to see a very surprised expression on the boy's face. "N- no?"

"No."

"I- why not?"

Ino couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. "Because I have a job to do. This is part of my training- I'm a Yamanaka, and to be considered a full-fledged kunoichi by my clan, I have to perform a successful Mind-Walk. And that's where you come in."

At the word 'training', the glowering blonde's eyes lit up, and by the time Ino'd finished explaining, he was grinning, his posture almost totally relaxed. "Training? Well, why didn't you say so? Come on, then, I'll take you to where the reason I'm sleeping is."

He turned around without another word, leaving Ino to stutter, "S- sleeping? I thought you were in a coma?"

He only laughed and kept going, giving her an idle wave to follow.  
A few steps in, Ino stopped paying attention to where she was going, suddenly entranced by the waving of a certain _something_ visible between the legs of the boy ahead of her. _Wow... just... wow. Is that... normal? No, my cousin's play-kunoichi never showed anything like _that_... I'm sure of it!_

What seemed like hours later, Naruto stopped before the densest thicket Ino had ever seen. "It's in here," he said, gesturing to a small hole. "Sorry, you'll have to crawl to get inside. But... you might not want to go."

Surprised at the sudden reversal from his willingness to cooperate, Ino asked, "Why not?"

"Well..." he looked away, and his voice was very quiet when he answered, "There's just... something about me that isn't very nice to see."

He risked looking back, hoping to see her scared or at least reluctant, but she only answered with, "I'm a kunoichi. I'm not going to get squeamish just 'cause of something nasty or gross."

"It's not- it's not like that," Naruto replied, looking away again, "It's just... I have a secret, okay? It's... it scares the hell out of most people that know about it. I don't want you to hate me, you seem nice. So... please don't go in?"

Now, Ino wasn't a master at the Yamanaka clan's skills and techniques by any means, but she had been trained by one of the best, and she could read the subtle signs and body language this boy gave off like an open book. He was really, truly terrified that she'd hate him if she went in there. She took a calming, steadying breath, then looked him in the eyes. "Naruto, I'm not going to hate you. I'm sure there's nothing you've done, no secret you have, that could make me hate you. I don't even _know_ you. I've seen some pretty messed up things in my life already, but I don't think I've ever hated anyone."

Naruto's shoulders fell slightly, before he took a deep breath as well. "All right... don't say I didn't warn you." He gestured into the tunnel, and Ino took a step toward it before coming up short and turning to glare at him.  
"You first."

"But- w- why?" he asked, his face blushing a bright red for the first time since she'd come across his consciousness.

"You know exactly why. I think you've seen quite enough of me as it is."

"But I'm naked too!" he cried, but she would have none of it.

"Get in there," Ino said, "don't make me make you. This may be your mind, but I know a few tricks to get people to do what I want them to, even in here."

She could see in his eyes that he was thinking about testing that, and not for the most wholesome of reasons, either, but in the end, he sighed and got down on his hands and knees before the tunnel into the thicket.

As she got down to follow him, she subconsciously glanced around the clearing to make sure no one else was spying, but saw nothing.

"It's just up here," he whispered a few minutes later, "the tunnel ends at... well, you'll see. If you're sure..."

Ino didn't bother to reply, she just kept moving forward, thankful that she wouldn't have to crawl back out of here- she could just vanish from his mind rather than subject herself to the thorns and rough ground on her knees and hands.

When she exited the tunnel, she stood beside the other blonde and gasped.

Where it had been night, the clearing she found herself in was blazing under what looked like a noon-day sun. The trees themselves were burned, blackened, or withered from some other rot, as if the plant... life...? in the center of the clearing was the source of a terrible blight.

There was a gigantic mound of vines, shrubs, brush, and other desiccated vegetable matter in a most unusual formation. It appeared to all be bound over a... _something_, holding it to the bare, broken ground. The largest trunk of the plants, if they were actually plants, was right in front of them. There was a small paper tag on it bearing the kanji for "Seal".

And then she heard the bellow of her deepest nightmares.

* * *

Inoichi and Sakura were now talking quietly. The man had explained a little about his daughter at Sakura's urging, mostly about how she'd grown up surrounded by females, the closest males to her in age being he himself, and her little brother, nine years her junior. It was no surprise, then, he explained, that the girl took every opportunity she could to flirt, make 'googly eyes' at, and otherwise make herself known to the opposite sex.

"In fact," he said, "it's my dearest wish that she'd just settle down and have a nice, quiet life with the man of her dreams. But I'm starting to wonder if that man even exists... she's had nothing but dreams for a long time, and she's built up some good ones, I'm sure. I see her flirt all the time now, with the boys around Konoha, but she never takes it seriously- she even told me, once, that for her it was just 'practice for the one'. I assume she means her Prince Charming... but I hope she doesn't end up waiting forever."

Sakura grunted. Sure, Inoichi was nice enough. He seemed to care genuinely for both Ino and Naruto's safety. He even expressed concern for Sakura, saying that she looked a bit over-worried, and that he'd be happy to help her relax with a non-invasive technique if she wanted.  
But that had been two hours ago, and she hadn't felt comfortable enough around him to accept.  
Now, though she was starting to regret it. _Inoichi-san said that it should only take a couple of hours... but it's been almost six! What's taking her so long? _

Just as Sakura opened her mouth to ask Inoichi, the blonde female suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream.

The noise instantly brought in Tsunade, followed closely by Jiraiya and Shizune. But it was Inoichi- mostly due to proximity- that got to the girl first. His had his hand on his daughter's where it still rested on Naruto's forehead, but it was trembling.  
"I... I can't break the connection, or there's a good chance it'll fry them both. I... I have to let her take care of this."

No one needed clarification as to what 'fry them both' meant, and so three of the best medics, and two other of the most powerful ninja in the slowly-rebuilding forces that once belonged to Konoha could do nothing but listen to the blonde as she continued to scream.

* * *

"**I see you brought me a treat, worm! Come closer, morsel, so that I can feast on your flesh!"**

"Quiet, you!" Naruto shouted over Ino's sudden wailing and the booming voice of the beast trapped underneath the thicket. "You can't have her!"

But then Ino took a shuddering step forward, then another.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Hey, what are you doing? Don't _listen_ to it! It's gonna kill you!"  
But Ino, terrified, didn't seem able to stop herself. Tears were running down her horror-stricken face, and every muscle in her body seemed to be fighting it, but one trembling food continued to be placed in front of the other.

Six steps in, Naruto had had enough. With a growl, he lunged forward and tackled the girl in front of him.

"**Worm! Why do you resist? You know, in the end, I'll be consuming everything you care about! So why do you fight now? Just give in... bring her to me, and I shall make her end quick!"**

But Naruto wasn't listening to that voice. He was much more concerned, in fact, by the sudden squeal of a very surprised Ino.

It took him only a moment, with his highly-trained skills at observation, to figure out exactly why she was no longer paying any attention to the monster either.

One of Naruto's hands was gripping her waist rather tightly- and rather lower than he was expecting. The other was firmly wrapped around the most pillowy flesh Naruto had ever had the fortune to touch- and that included the voluminous breasts of his mother-figure.

"Uh- sorry, Ino-chan," he muttered, jumping off of her at once. "I didn't mean to- I mean, it was an accident. I swear!"

But Ino was, apparently, not very angry. _Either that, or she's shaking with rage..._

As time moved forward, Naruto became distantly aware that Ino was shaking from something _other_ than fear when a most unusual smell hit his nose. It was very similar so something he'd smelled on Sakura, once... and on Shizune and Tsunade less often. It was... intoxicating. _No! I can't get distracted by that... whatever it is she's smelling like! I gotta get her out of here..._

Without a moment's hesitation more, Naruto bent low and scooped the girl into his arms.

He gathered his will for a moment before shooting back toward the dark thicket, "No more, teme. I'm cutting you off. You're never getting out again."

Before the sound of the beast's roar even reached him, Naruto was hundreds, thousands, of thoughts away, in a very peaceful, pleasant part of his mind-scape. The place he felt most secure seemed, to him, to be the perfect place to reassure the nearly-catatonic Ino.

He laid her on his mental bed, doing his best to ignore their mutual state of undress, when something unusual caught his attention.

Distracted completely, Naruto cocked his head almost like a dog would when contemplating it's dinner. _Is that...? I've seen it on Sakura and Okaa-san and Shizune once or twice... but I wonder what does it. The old man never mentioned anything like it... bastard could have been more specific in his 'education on women'. But nooooo... 'you would learn everything you need to know about women if you just read my books, Naruto. I'm not teaching you anything you could actually use, Naruto. Go away, Naruto, you're bugging the girls, Naruto.' Old bastard. I wonder what..._

It was, perhaps, a mark of his own addled state- from worry or whatever- that his next course of action didn't strike him as a _very_ bad idea. Growing up with Sakura as he had, Naruto had learned- the hard way- to respect a woman's right _not_ to be touched if they didn't want it. Especially in anything covered by your average underwear.

Naruto, however, was not exactly in his right mind, and could, maybe, be excused for his next move.

A finger flicked outward from his hand, which raised to, very gently, toward a still-shaking Ino. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, he was vaguely aware of, and her breathing was fast and shallow. But none of that concerned him very much- he was much more interested in what, exactly, _those_ felt like, when they were hard like that.

And so he prodded one erect nipple.

At once, terror for his life set in as the reality of what he'd just done came back to him.

He flew away from the girl, hands raised to cover his face as he cowered in the corner.

After a few seconds, he looked up to see one of Ino's hands covering that same nipple, and the other buried between her legs.

His angle of vision wouldn't let him see much, but Naruto was still no fool- he knew _exactly _what Ino was doing. He just wasn't sure _why_.

* * *

The tension rose, if anything, when the screaming stopped. It was replaced about ten minutes later by a low, guttural moan from Ino. Only Jiraiya and Tsunade seemed to think anything suspicious about it, if their shared look was any indication. Inoichi, for his part, seemed relieved that the screaming had stopped, and had stopped thinking there.

Sakura simply didn't seem to know what that moan meant- but the two Sannin had an idea.

_Naruto,_ they both thought at once, _what the hell are you doing to her?_

* * *

When Naruto finally dared to stand, the first thing his eyes saw was another pair of baby blues staring right back at him. They were half-lidded, and the girl wearing them had the strangest expression on her face- somewhere between outrage, shock, and utter bliss. But her voice, when she spoke, was as easily understood as any words Naruto had ever heard in his life.  
"Not a word- not one word- to anyone. _Ever_."

His own eyes widened. "No! Of course I would- I'd never say anything about- about- _that_! That's just between you and-"

Ino's eyes narrowed further, and he caught himself just in time.  
"I mean- it's just your business, not mine at all! I won't say a word to anyone!"

She stared at him for a few more minutes, then sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Ugh... I can't believe I just did that in front of you. I don't even know _why_! I mean, I saw that... that _thing_. I heard it say..." she gave an involuntary shudder, then picked up a few words further down than Naruto expected, "then it told me to come toward it, so it could... could...e... eat- eat... me... and then I thought of you, and... remembered where we were. And I..." she shuddered again, but did not resume speaking, only buried her head in her hands again.

After a few minutes, Naruto spoke, his voice hesitant, "Are you... are you okay? 'cause I think I can wake up now, if... well, whatever you did seems to have broken his hold on me, anyway."

She didn't respond.

"Hey... hey, are you okay? Do you... is there anything I can do?"

He took a hesitant step towards her, but she didn't move.

A few moments later, he placed a hand softly on her bare shoulder. At once, the girl relaxed, actually leaning into his hand, before she jumped up and away from him, covering herself with her hands again.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, "Pervert! Just- just stay over there! It's bad enough you already saw- saw-"

But she couldn't seem to bring herself to finish the sentence.

Naruto, finally getting a bit of what she was upset about- not the obvious, or what she'd been complaining about- murmured, "It's okay to be scared of it. That thing... I hate it. I'm scared, too. It's... it's just _evil_. When I first found out it was in there, I tried to... I tried to kill myself. Just to kill it, too. But the damned thing wouldn't let me die until my Okaa-san found me, and she patched me up. I tried again a few times, but once I found out how much it hurt the people I care about when I tried, I had to stop. Better I carry that thing around for the rest of my life than make Okaa-san, Ero-sennin, Shizune-neechan, and Sakura-chan worry about me."

She was silent for a long time. The moon never moved, though it slowly grew and shrunk between full and new over the time he waited for her to speak or move.

And then, "Is... is that the Kyuubi no Yoko? The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?"

Naruto nodded, then, realizing that she wasn't watching him, murmured, "Yeah. That's him."

"But we were told- I was taught- that the Yondaime Hokage killed it."

Ino's voice was soft, tremulous, but Naruto had to respect her strength even asking about it, when she had to have been brought up hearing the worst horror stories about that the Kyuubi had done to Konoha. "Yeah... he didn't. He sealed it inside of me."

That made her look up. Her eyes were wide, horrified all over again as she stared into his own. "He... it's sealed- in-"

In reply, Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated, then stood, allowing her to see the crimson swirl of the seal on his stomach.

"Does... does it hurt?"

He hadn't been expecting that, of all questions.

"N- no, it doesn't hurt. I can't even feel it, really. It's just sort of... there. Like a finger or an arm. You know it's there, but you can't feel it unless something's wrong... does that make sense?"

Ino nodded. "But... why you?"

Naruto shrugged, "I donno. I always thought- at least since I found out about it- that it was just convenient. I was probably the closest baby... or the only one born that day... or something."

The fear in Ino's eyes was gone now, replaced by sadness, something that was probably pity, and... something else, something the young man couldn't easily define.

"Come on," he said at last, moving back over to the girl on his mind's bed, "let's get out of here. We can talk more outside my head if you want- 'cause to be honest, talking about it all in here is giving me the creeps- like I've got voices in my head or something."  
He gave a weak chuckle, though it was still stronger than hers. Gratefully, though, she took his hand and gave a little smile that looked more like a grimace before standing. "All right, let's go."

---

**AN2**: As always, please review, or at least fav or something. Motivation is key, after all. As a further note, I've had a few more ideas for other fanfic and novel projects I'm working on, so my writing time/energy is still being split a number of ways, but currently, One Hour is the big one. Expect more 'relatively soon'. That could be anywhere from tomorrow to a month or more, but it's probably going to be the next update. After that, I'll hit up some Bleach or something, then return to this, or... well, plan schman. I'll work it out.

**Glossary: **

**Inoichi Yamanaka:** Father of Ino. A tall man with a long, golden blonde ponytail. His features are rather square and rugged, though many think he's a girly-man given his dress. He is a true master at the Yamanaka family techniques, and has already passed the majority of them on to Ino- whether she knows it or not. Clan head. Reluctant to ally with Konoha at the moment, but willing to help out Naruto when he is needed- even knowing the boy's secret.

**Ino Yamanaka:** Daughter of Inoichi. A tall young woman like her father, her hair is even longer, though a few shades lighter. Very pretty (similar to Shippuden in looks and dress, but a few years older), and not afraid to use her looks to advantage. Swiftly coming close to mastering her family's techniques, Ino has also spent considerable time learning the arts of yarijutsu (spear fighting), kunai, and genjutsu. Flirts heavily given how little she was able to be around males in her formative years. Doesn't seem to have minded, though, since she enjoys female company a great deal as well.

**Yamanka Clan:** A clan of mind-benders and -walkers. Their family abilities and general structure are nearly identical to canon- I haven't actually seen a difference, though the way I present mind-walking may be different than Kishimoto-sensei does. They will have a minor impact on the story at best, aside from the two already-named characters and possibly Ino's mother.


	10. Chapter 10: A Looming Threat?

**A/N:** First, thank you SO much to those of you who have read, favored, story alerted, author alerted, fav authored, etc, and most importantly, REVIEWED! You guys are the bee's knees! (and yes, that is a real phrase- though older than I am by at least 100 yrs) :)

Secondly, I'm glad this didn't take too long- but it's longer than I wanted it to be. Sorry.  
Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 10 A looming threat, or a powerful ally?**

When Naruto finally woke up, it was to the sound of screaming banshees. _Holy shit... what did I do to deserve this pain?! _The moan accompanying that thought brought a moment of pregnant silence, before a loud cry of "Naruto!" was followed by a bone-crushing hug.

"Ow, ow! Sakura-chan- you're- can't- b- breathe!"

It took a moment after his pronouncement before she actually let him go, though she did relax a bit almost at once. During that pause, she whispered a phrase in his ear, one that made him stiffen up immediately.

It's meaning- at least on the surface- was perfectly clear. Why, exactly, his live-in-roommate/girlfriend/best friend couldn't exactly do what she'd asked him to do herself, though, was less so. "S- Sakura-chan? Why- what do you..." He didn't need to ask _who_, of course. He'd recognized the other screaming voice at once- he had just been talking to her, of course.

But when she'd left off with her bone-crushing hug, Naruto was able to look around the room. He was surrounded by relieved faces, faces of those he loved. Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, plus a few of the others he'd met more recently, including the two Uchiha brothers, and a stoic-faced Hyuuga a year or two older than he was. _Even Neji-san came? But- where's Ero-sennin?_

"Okaa-san, where- where's Ojiijii?"

Sakura's face fell from relief and happiness- though her eyes were still red-rimmed and her cheeks stained with salt- to worry and fear almost at once, but it was Tsunade, her face carefully schooled into indiference, who answered. "Naruto- Jiraiya's really busy. I'm sorry, he's sorry too- he wanted to be here. But while you were on your mission, we... received a message. Jiraiya's trying to decode it- or, well, to make sense of it. Until we know exactly who wrote it and why, it's possible... that whoever sent it means to kill us all."

No one in the room reacted other than to watch himself, which told Naruto that they all knew before he'd woken. "How- how long was I out?"

Sakura and Tsunade, this time, shared a glance before the older woman sitting on the side of his hospital bed replied, "Nearly three days. You were unconscious the two and a half it took to bring you back home from Tanzuku, then we had to track down Yamanaka Inoichi and his daughter, Ino, here," Tsunade gestured to the two other blondes before continuing (and noting, of course, that both Naruto and Ino blushed slightly- their eyes met for only the briefest of moments- when she was named), "and that procedure took about two hours. Once Ino here woke up from her jutsu, you were out for about nine more hours- which is why Sakura chose to wake you up with a screaming match, _in a hospital_."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Sakura had always been a compassionate person, and he knew she loved being a medic, but it was somehow very far outside her nature to be 'calm and quiet' when something she cared about was in danger. There was no way she'd have remained silent if any of the people who'd been around as she was growing up was in the hospital suffering from, as they had to think it, "a mystery coma".

"So... bit more than three days."

Sasuke, this time, nodded. He then surprised everyone by asking, "How are you feeling, Naruto?"

The blonde teen blinked. "Uh- I'm fine. Feel like a billion ryo, actually. How're you?"

This time, the entire room at least smiled. It wasn't often they saw the blonde so obviously discomfited- he always had a snappy comeback or remark, not something so... banal. "I'm fine," Sasuke replied with a grin, "you were the most beat up, even without that- without the Beast doing it's part to you."

Naruto paled at once, his eyes suddenly darting from person to person like a cornered animal.

Tsunade stepped over to him calmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, relax. Everyone here knows already. They aren't judging you on... what that monster did."

It took a long time- nearly five minutes- before he actually relaxed, but when her master's words finished sinking in, Sakura knew that Naruto would be all right.

"See, Fore-head girl? I told you he'd be fine. Just 'cause I've never done a Mind-walk before doesn't mean I can screw it up! My dad's the best teacher ever!"

Before anyone could stop them, the two were screaming at each other again. Naruto cringed.

"Glad to see you're all right, Gaki," Jiraiya said by way of greeting. It was late the next afternoon before Naruto convinced Tsunade that he should be able to leave, and that his attacks- while he would admit to them happening before- were something he could, actually, predict- and that while this one was particularly bad, they weren't actually life-threatening.

What had convinced her, in the end, was him dropping a few choice words. "It's the price I pay for using... that power."

That admission, she had known even then, had taken a lot for him to admit. He didn't like using any strength not his own. He was the type who relied only on his own power (though he gladly fought beside friends), and refused to accept shortcuts to gaining strength. To admit to using a power he hadn't earned... well... he said it was a more than fair price, and wouldn't elaborate even though she'd insisted.  
Finally, she had no choice- there were only four finished rooms in the entire building, and there was nothing- that she could detect- wrong with him.  
It was less than an hour after that that he'd tracked down Jiraiya, with Neji, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino hot on his heels. "Glad to be up and about, Ero-sennin. What are you working on?"

They'd finally tracked down the older man at Tsunade's cabin, where he'd been working in seclusion trying to figure out the meaning behind the message he'd found waiting for him in the former capitol.  
"Just this... read it. It's not coded or anything, and given who it says it's from, that's the scariest thing."

_ Jiraiya, Tsunade, leaders of Ootori,_

_ I, Orochimaru, send you greetings. Word has reached my ears through some contacts of mine that our former village is being reborn from it's own ashes. I am interested to hear more, as well as to extend my gratitude for not letting our sensei's legacy die completely. I have a proposal to make for you along those lines, but before I get to that, allow me to express my deepest regrets about... certain actions and choices I made in younger years._

_ I know, now, what Sensei meant when he talked of the Will of Fire. I admit, freely, that I was _not _the best choice for Hokage. I could not have made the sacrifice that Minato-kun made. That is why Otogakure, while it survives and is not diminished, will never grow to be the equal of Kumo or Iwa in strength, and why I have difficulty imagining the village I founded to be equal to the much-lesser Suna._

_ Frankly, Oto's leader is... not the man he thought he was. A jutsu specialist perhaps without equal, yes. A powerful opponent and deadly enemy, certainly. But a good man? No. In my quest for glory, power, and immortality, I sacrificed much- too much- that was not my own to give up. This, I regret every day._

_ So I extend to you now, my old comrades, the hand of friendship and loyalty again. I will understand if you cannot accept it. I will understand if you do so grudgingly, unwillingly, or not at all. I have a difficult time forgiving myself, and will understand again if you cannot find it in yourselves to forgive me. I will think no less of you. _

_ My hand is holding this: Oto's alliance with Kumo and Iwa is tenuous, being the weakest of the three, so I seek to gain... alternative allies. Friends to watch my back. In return, I can do everything in my power to give you the chance to grow strong yet again, by running what interference I am able with the Cloud and Stone. I can even spare some men- perhaps a hundred- to assist in your defense, more if you are actively attacked. I, and Oto, have a vested interest in seeing Ootori prosper. So much so, in fact, that I will turn on my 'allies' in a moment, given the chance._

_ If you are willing to hear me out further, my ambassador will be waiting at the place this message was found, two weeks after it is picked up. He will not wait long, so please don't debate endlessly. I know you're starting up some kind of council, again. Some decisions, as I'm sure you know, are best made by executive order._

_ Yours, _

_ Orochimaru, of the densetsu no sannin, _

_ Shodaime Otokage._

Naruto only sat in thought for a few moments before looking up to meet his sensei's eyes once again. "Orochimaru... wasn't he the guy that killed all those people before Sandaime-sama drove him out of the Village? And if he's the First Otokage, then... he's the one that sent them against us after the Kyuubi attacked Konoha!"

Jiraiya nodded solemnly, and opened his mouth, but Sakura beat him to it.

"No way! We can't ally with him, then! He's probably just trying to find out where we are, so he can finish us off!"

The sannin's eyes flashed to his younger daughter-figure and replied, his voice low and quiet, "You're right, of course. But there's more to it, and that's why I'm having problems deciding what he _really_ wants. Orochimaru... he used to be my best friend."

Stunned silence met this declaration, aside from a sharp intake of air from the sannin's apprentice. Jirayia gave Naruto a quick nod to affirm his guess, then continued, his eyes moving around the room to judge the reactions of each person present. "He, Tsunade-hime, and I were the apprentices- the only Genin team- of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime. The old man was such a good teacher, that each of us grew to be some of the most powerful ninja in the world- elite jonin or... stronger... before we were eighteen. It got to the point when, during a short war with Ame, the three of us were able to take on and... well, not quite defeat, but force a draw with Hanzo the Salamander, the leader of Ame- and a man who's considered to have been stronger than almost any Kage, ever. It's out of his respect for us that he gave us the title of "sannin".

"The problem with all of that is, we each reacted in different ways to our own power and the respect we had from everyone else. Me... I started to act on my uh... baser... instincts," here, he cringed slightly away from Sakura when her eyes narrowed, "and got really into women and booze. Tsunade decided... well, she was the one who reacted the best, I think. And that's why I want her to take over Ootori, not me. She decided that because she was powerful, and even then the best med-nin in the world, that she would do everything she could to protect those weaker than herself, to devote herself to helping others. That was the Sandaime's philosophy, passed down to him from the First and Second Hokage.  
"Orochimaru, though... he decided that the thousand or more jutsu he'd learned by the time we were sixteen wasn't enough. He started... kidnapping people, doing strange experiments... he messed around with the building blocks of life- DNA- to create monsters, or mutate ninja to give them weird powers. Most of his 'experiments' died on the operating table. Those were the lucky ones. Eventually, Sandaime found out what was going on and chased him out... but... by then, we basically all knew what had happened. His power corrupted him and turned him into a monster himself."

Neji spoke up, his voice it's usual measured cadence, "Why would he think he can ally with you, then? Why would he even bother trying? He has to know you'll decline."

Jiraiya opened his mouth, but was again interrupted, this time by Naruto. "Right... but there's still more to it. We _need_ allies. If Kumo or Iwa attack us, we're dead. Oto, Kusa, Ame, Suna, Kiri, even Nami- and their ninja forces are practically non-existent- could flatten us right now. Even Hoshi, Oni, or Taki could probably take us out without really trying, if we didn't have two sannin with us."

Neji and Sasuke's eyes both narrowed slightly, but it was the Uchiha who responded first. "You sound like you don't think the Uchiha are worth anything in a fight."

Naruto's eyes rolled. "Look, Sasuke, I know you're good. But there's still only about two hundred of you, and only forty-something ninja, I think. Maybe what, fifty trained Hyuuga? Add in all the smaller groups, and we have about one-thirty ninja, only fifteen of which are Jonin or above. If anyone sends an army... we won't have a chance."

The dark-eyed teen looked like he wanted to say something else, but Neji's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "He's right."

Sasuke shrugged the hand off at once and walked toward the door, scowling. "Well, you guys can plan all you want. I'm going to talk to my brother and get a _real_ measure of our strength."

Neji sighed and followed him, not bothering to explain why he was leaving as well.

Ino, for her part, eyed the two pieces of 'eye candy' as they left, but didn't get up. Instead, she turned back to Naruto. "So, Mr. Genius, if we _need_ allies, why should we take his offer seriously? We know he'd just stab us in the back. Probably use the men he sends to 'help us' do it, too."

Jiraiya nodded, grinning, "That's right! So we can't agree directly, we can't say no, either- because he _knows_ we're here. Oto's not the biggest of the five nations by any means, but they still have enough men to find us if they try. So what we have to do is..."

He trailed off, looking expectantly at the three teens.

"Stall tactics."

The old man's grin widened into a full-blown smile. "Right, Naruto! We need to compose a response that basically says, 'we're thinking about it', but doesn't say anything."

This time, Sakura spoke next, "So... why haven't you written that response already, if you knew what to do?"

Jiraiya's face fell. "I... I just thought of it..."

The trio left Jiraiya's tent a little later, still laughing at the old man's inability to be serious for more than ten minutes. "So, Naruto," Ino asked after they were most of the way back into the main section of the camp, "do you have a... girlfriend?"

Naruto was many things.

He could be considered a genius (of hard work, of course). Perhaps a true phenom.  
Even a great ninja, young as he was.  
Handsome (or so he'd been told- often- by the various ten-to-thirty year old women in the foundling village), charismatic (and he was even starting to realize that himself), and above all of this, he was totally clueless about women, and had the tact of a sledgehammer- on a good day.

However, something Naruto was _not_-

suicidal.

He knew the trap he was walking into. He could see it plain as day- Ino wanted to hear how he felt about Sakura, and if she stood a chance. Sakura's shoulders had tightened so much as the other blonde had asked her question that even he- unobservant as he could sometimes be- wouldn't ever have missed it. _She_ would be waiting for the answer as well- waiting for him to tell Ino he wasn't interested, and that Sakura was his girlfriend. Even though they'd never actually _discussed_ anything of the sort. Never kissed, never done more than hug and hold hands... and any brother/sister he knew of did that.  
But still... there was the way he felt about her.  
The way he thought she felt about him.

_No, I know she does. Even if she won't say it._

All of this took only a moment's thought, a span of time so small that even Sakura didn't think anything strange of the pause. Of course, inside, Naruto was starting to panic.

_If I say no, Sakura kills me. If I say yes, Ino cries and tries to kill me. If I say yes but it's not Sakura, they _both_ kill me. If I say I'm into guys, they both ki- wait, why am I even _thinking_ about going that far? Oh, yeah... it's because they both _terrify_ me!_

"Uh- kind of?"

Both of the girls stopped mid-step, and Naruto knew that wasn't a good answer, either.

_Kuso..._

"Naruto," Ino asked, her voice sweet, "that doesn't make any sense. Either you do, or you don't. Right... Sakura?"

The way Ino'd said the other girl's name made chills run down Naruto's spine. But the way his long-time interest responded- her own voice sickly sweet- nearly made him pee his pants. "Right, Ino. I think Naruto ought to _say it_, instead of digging his grave _deeper_."

The shinobi in question looked into Sakura's eyes and saw a great deal of anger- but below that, a sort of questioning hurt. Like she wasn't sure if she was in pain or not. And also, a lot of anger. And maybe just a little bit of love was peeking through, as well, but it was hard to tell.

Ino, though, only looked angry and jealous. She was much easier to figure out. _Yeah, she just wants to jump my bones... or maybe watch me jump Sakura's._  
Yes, it's a little known fact-

Naruto's a pervert.

He hides it well, even from himself, but that kind of thing just doesn't occur to people that aren't perverts. Or so he'd been told. Of course, that meant that about 80%- or more- of the human population could be considered a pervert. But he was too busy imagining himself with _both_ girls by this point to worry about that.

"Narutoo...."

The sudden menace engulfing something to simple as his name broke his reverie into pieces. The last image he saw was both women, their tongues on his manhood together, as a spinning piece of the glass that was his restraint flew past his eyes.

And then he ran, half a moment before both of the girls were after him, enraged.

**AN2**: Your reviews for the last chapter were awesome, so here I am begging for more (or at least, suggesting it kindly). I like 'em. :D As a further (repeated) note, I've had a few more ideas for other fanfic and novel projects I'm working on, so my writing time/energy is still being split a number of ways, but currently, One Hour is the big one. I'm still working on those other projects, but am only about half done with a chapter on each- while more of One Hour is likely to be worked on today.

**Glossary: **

**Sakura Haruno**: Can't believe I'm so late in doing this one- thought I had it done. :) Sakura's very similar to canon in most ways- excellent medical ninja, has the super strength, and all- but more so. She is 18, not 12, at the start of the story, and she's been training/living with Shizune and Tsunade for at least 17 of those years. She hasn't had the distractions of 'boys', her family, or even a city to live in, and that's changed a few things. She's more sure of herself- she _knows_ how strong she is. Except when it comes to Naruto- who she hasn't seen in nearly 10 yrs. She loves him deeply, as something similar to a brother, but more a soul mate. Sakura still has a deep hatred of 'perverts', despite being one herself. (And she actually knows she is, Naruto having told her so enough to convince her) Her mother was one of Tsunade's best friends growing up. She knows her own family history, but has never considered her birth mother her 'mother'. That's Tsunade, always has been, and always will be. Shizune is her sister. Jiraiya might be a creepy uncle, if he's lucky.

**Uchiha Sasuke**: Again, I'm surprised at myself for not doing him earlier. He, like Sakura and Naruto, is very close to canon- though it should be obvious by now that he's _not_ the same. He hasn't watched his older brother- the person he looks up to more than any other- slaughter his entire clan, for instance. In fact, he was raised from the time he was a baby (Kyuubi's attack) by his brother, as Itachi was babysitting and his family assumed they were both killed. In fact, **_(Minor spoiler, fanfic-only)_** Itachi deliberately spirited Sasuke away to keep him away from his traitorous father.  
His changes include: Not being afraid to say what he thinks. He's still taciturn, but actually _does_ volunteer information and talks to people willingly. (In fact, he's fully aware that he's starving for attention- his brother gets old after a few years) He may even willingly start a conversation with a female. * gasp! *  
He is very wary of Naruto's strength, and does see him as his rival. (He sees Itachi as a teacher and brother, not a rival- though he still competes with him happily) Sasuke believes he is the child of prophecy, not having yet been disabused of that notion.

**Hyuuga Neji: **Essentially unchanged at his core, (yes, most characters are going to be 'unchanged bur for xx action/change in timeline') Neji is still a stoic, hard-to-read young man. He's now 20 (or all-but), being slightly older than the rest of the 'rookies'. He never saw his father sacrificed for his uncle, never saw his best friend/cousin (Hinata) kidnapped by the Cloud, and has not learned quite the rage and fear he used to have in canon. But there is still potential for it. Widely considered the most powerful of the 'unmarried/not-adult' Hyuuga, and definitely the most powerful of the Branch Family- he can even beat his father in a fight, sometimes. He does still resent the Caged Bird Seal a great deal.

**Hyuuga Hanabi:** Little sister of Hinata. She's now 13, and her family considers her a talented Genin. (She, like in canon, is naturally more confident than her older sister) Her appearance will be, I've decided, exactly like it appears in Shippuden (when we actually see her). Those who have/are reading my 2nd Late Blossoms story (Blooming Firecracker) will be aware that Hanabi is one of my fav characters- she will likely play a somewhat major role in this story as well, though I haven't decided what, exactly, that will be. She dislikes Neji much more than Hinata. Her sister is, in fact, someone she looks up to a great deal. She wishes she could be more 'ladylike'. Neji, though, because of his bitterness combined with his closeness to Hinata (she is jealous of their time spent together instead of Hinata's time with her) is not on her list of favorite people.

**Ryo:** Currency. I'm not actually sure what the exchange rate or relationship between Ryu and Yen are (Yen is approx equal to a penny, so roughly 100 yen is a US Dollar) According to Narutopedia (my fact-checking site of choice), Kishimoto-sensei says that 10 Yen=1 Ryo, so 10 Ryo=1 Dollar. (A dime)

Asuma's bounty was 35 million Ryo, so 3.5 million dollars. Your typical D-rank pays (the village, not the shinobi) 500 Ryo, while an S rank is in the millions. It is worth noting that "Ryo" is/was an actually currency of Japan- gold coins used before the Meiji revolution. (They are not a koku, but are a fraction of it in much the same way that pennies are fractions of $100 bills- a Koku is a gold coin representing enough rice to feed a man for a year- one barrel. A ryo is typically enough to feed a man for a meal.)

**Gaki:** lit. Brat. Or 'little brat' or 'little shit-stain' etc. Usually it's just brat. Used with different characters, it can also mean "Hungry Ghost", the typical kind that wants to kill people. The kind Naruto's deathly afraid of. (Which is only fitting, considering what he's called more often than his name...)

**Sensei**: Why has my glossary turned into a Japanese dictionary? It means "Teacher".

**Sarutobi Hiruzen**: This is the Sandaime (Third's) real, canon, official name. I've seen a lot of fics lately (even more recent ones) that call him something else. Like Akira. Really? It's not too hard to fact-check. /rants more (An unnamed Fic created 2/3/10 naming Yondaime "Arashi Kenpachi". Really? Not only VERY WRONG, but unoriginal to boot? You get 10 internets!) /rant over  
He was widely considered the most knowledgeable and one of the most powerful ninja ever. He knew (it was said) every non-clan-specific jutsu Konoha had, well over 1000 total. Extremely intelligent, he was known as "The Professor" to his enemies, and many of his allies. He was made the Hokage at a very young age (I think 12?) due to his talent and the fact that both the Shodaime and Nidaime knew they were going to their deaths in the 2nd Great Ninja War. They told him that his purpose as Hokage would be to protect the village, something he took to heart his entire life and tried to pass on to his pupils. (Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and Tsunade appear to have learned it, at least) This is something he called the "Will of Fire".

In this fic, he was killed fighting alongside the last remnants of Konoha's shinobi forces, buying time for more civilians and, more importantly, Tsunade and Jiraiya to escape with Shizune, Sakura, and Naruto. His last words (heard by Tsunade) were, "Come on then, you monster! You can burn all you like, but I can show you what the Will of Fire can _really_ do!" And then he got eaten. (Shizune swears she can remember watching it happen from over Tsunade's shoulder, but tries hard not to remember it)

**Hanzo the Salamander**: Former leader of Ame (before Pain). He was widely considered one of the most powerful ninja of the time during the 2nd Great Ninja War, and it was he who gave the title of Densetsu no Sannin to the Sandaime's team, when they were the sole survivors of a large group of Konoha ninja he ambushed (by himself). They were later able to fight him to a standstill, earning them his respect. He was later killed (in canon and in this story) by Nagato/Pain, who is now in control of Ame.

**Orochimaru**: One of the Three Sannin, students of Sarutobi Hiruzen. His family is unknown, though even as a child he had very distinctive snake-like features. (Golden slitted eyes, narrow pointed nose, etc). He is known as a snake summoner, and considered to be an SS rank criminal, given his experiments and banishment from Konoha. During the time he lived there, however, he expressed a great deal of loyalty to the village (aside from his test subjects), fighting for it very hard on many occasions. He was Jiraiya's best friend, and even had some kind of feelings for Tsunade, though they were likely to be as siblings. Shortly after his banishment, he began to gather followers, and a few years later founded Otogakure.  
The Hidden Sound Village existed in secret in Kusa for a number of years, until the Kyuubi attacked. When the unknown forces of Oto appeared alongside the gathered strength of Iwa, Suna, Kiri, and Kumo, along with the lesser nations of Kusa, Ame, Nami, and Taki, (River, Swamp, and Mountain did not help) to attack Konoha, they were at first greeted with suspicion. Their power and unique style proved their worth, however, and they returned to their mysterious base shortly after. For more on Orochimaru, see "Otogakure".

**Otogakure**: The Village Hidden in the Sound. A 2nd hidden village that was once much smaller, based in Kusa, the Land of Rice Paddies/Grass. After the Kyuubi's invasion, Oto revealed it's forces by allying with the other nations against Konoha. When they returned home, Oto's forces took one day to recover, then launched a surprise attack against Kusagakure, before their ninja (who were still dividing the spoils of Konoha) even returned home. Nearly defenseless, Kusa fell within a day. When the Grass ninja returned home, they found it occupied by their allies of just a few days before.

The Oyabun (boss) of Kusa parleyed with Orochimaru. The deal was simple: Kusa would be returned to the Grass ninja, and Oto wouldn't bother them again (unless provoked). In return, Kusa would not seek out or attack (again, unless provoked) Oto. This lead Kusa to believe that Oto was close by, at least within the Land of Rice Paddies, but the village has never been found by Kusa's leaders.

Orochimaru and Oto have honored that agreement, and left Kusa to it's own devices. (Though they do have spies, and took knowledge of pretty much all of Kusa's secrets with them when they left)

Now, Kusa and Oto are officially allies again, though each regards the other with some suspicion.

**Nami:** Wave. This is where Team 7's first C-rank was. (The bridge is shown on the map, it's just off the coast of Hi no Kuni) In this story, they do have a standing army, though not many ninja. (Most are mercenaries or rogue) They are totally controlled by Gatoh at this time. There are rumors he's using it as a base for an army he wants to build. (The refugees that Tazuna leads that we saw when Hiashi was introduced are from Wave, and do include his daughter and grandson)**  
Hoshi**: Stars. Hoshi is the Village Hidden in the Stars. Probably not going to come up. I 'think' it's the longer, thin country between Suna and Iwa (Like a ^ shape)

**Oni: **Demon. Short version of "Land of Demons". It has no hidden village, though it's warrior-monks (and guardians of it's high priestess) are capable of using Chakra. A small nation, the High Priestess is known as a seer of amazing accuracy. (Yes, it's Shion, though I don't see it coming up in this story) I also 'think' this is the country to the west of Hoshi, on the far left side of the map between Suna and Iwa.

**Taki**: Waterfall. Short version of "Village Hidden by the Waterfall" or "Land of Waterfalls". According to Narutopedia's map of the Naruto world, (and this is corroborated by my own research using the maps we see through the show and manga) Taki is north of the northwest corner of Hi no Kuni. It's directly east of the southeast corner of Iwa, and two countries to the west of Kusa (where both Grass and Sound are). The nation to it's east is, I believe, Swamp.

Yes, that's 2.5 pages of Glossary.


	11. Chapter 11: Intergender relations SRS!

**A/N:** Again, thanks a cubic ton or so for the great reviews (there were a bunch) for Chap. 10! (That's a cubic ton EACH, by the way- a number of people even had constructive criticism, if I'm not hallucinating, so yay!)

Not nearly as long as the last wait, which is great, and it's even an extra-long chapter, too. Bit of fluff to look forward to, but there's a surprising amount of character development (for just three people), considering it's only two (and maybe a half) scenes long. Which all means: Expect some dialogue, but it's the good stuff- some Naruto/Jiraiya sensei/student-father/son-maybe Kage/future Kage stuff, and then Naruto/Sakura stuff- and yes, it's the good stuff (But no lemon yet- getting there, but not now.)

Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 11 Inter-Gender Relations are Serious Business- SRS BSNS!**

The two young ninja were standing in a line with several other ninja around their age. Looking at the collected group, Jiraiya couldn't help but think they were a straggly lot. There wasn't any organization to the bunch at all- height, gender, age... the only thing they seemed to do was group themselves by family and friends. _At least the friends part is getting wider... you'd be proud, Minato. Your kid's stupid idea actually got them to start mixing it up, even the Hyuuga and Uchiha. At least in public. Who knows what they say behind their tent flaps?_

"All right," he began explaining as he walked down the line from the left, "it's been two months since we started reconstruction- since the Uchiha arrived. Your group has been working the hardest, according to your peers, so you've been selected for the first official weekend off of our little village."

The cheers were immediate and deafening. _Not a single one of them that hasn't practically broken the their backs- after all, these are the ones I saw working hardest myself. Peers, heh... underneath the underneath, kiddies!_

"Calm down, calm down..." the white-haired man continued, waving a hand for silence as he walked slowly on, not looking directly at anyone, "it's just a weekend. Three days- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, starting this weekend. Everyone else is gonna be working the same schedule until next week and the week after, and so on. You guys are our test run, so to speak, so don't let us down. We don't need you showing up en-masse in one of the other villages and causing havoc, attracting attention. You're to stay within twenty miles of the camp, and travel in no groups larger than five. You'll also need to work out your backstory before you leave- no one is to know we're here, just yet." _At least, not anyone _new_... _  
The majority nodded, though a few of the more disciplined- a few Hyuuga and Uchiha- responded with a crisp, "Yes, Sir!"

The sannin nodded to himself and turned back around to repeat his path down the line of excited teens and young adults. "So, you have one more day of work to get to. Get as much done as you can, so I don't feel bad for letting your young backs get a break!"

It took moments for the line of young ninja to vanish, leaving the old sage alone with his apprentice, who he'd conveniently managed to stop right in front of.

"What's up, Naruto? I noticed you weren't standing by Sakura. Something wrong?"

The blonde looked away for a moment, then turned back to his father figure, his eyes both scared and embarrassed. "I- we had a fight the other day. She's not talking to me, that's all. I thought I'd give her some space."

"I see," Jiraiya said quietly, motioning for his pupil to fall in beside him as he walked. "Not to minimize your troubles, kid, but that doesn't seem too bad. You fight all the time, and it never seems to last. You said you fought the other day? What did you say?"

Naruto's shoulders fell. "You know it was me that said something wrong? That's- that's not fair! I didn't do anything!"

"And maybe that's the problem."

Naruto stopped walking, forcing the older man to turn and walk back a few steps. "What- I don't understand. How could I do something wrong if I don't even do anything?"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes before grinning widely and motioning Naruto to sit on a nearby stump- one of the few trees that had survived the devastation had been rotten after so long with no care, and they'd been forced to cut it down just a couple of days before. The two sat beside each other in silence for a moment, before the elder asked, "You better tell me everything that happened. At least you came to the right guy- my advice on women is second to none!"

The younger ninja coughed, making a noise that sounded suspiciously like 'bullshit', before exclaiming, "Your advice sucks! That's why I'm in this mess in the first place! You told me, whenever a girl wants to talk about feelings, I should just run, 'cause I'll never say the right thing!"

Jiraiya looked at the Jinchuuriki with a shocked expression for nearly a full minute before bursting out with gales of laughter. Between his guffaws, he was able to choke out- he had to try five times- the phrase, "You do that for _girls_, Naruto, not _women_! No wonders she's mad!"

Fortunately for Jiraiya, Naruto was too confused to be mad at him for laughing at his plight. "But- what's the difference?"

"What's the- you travelled with me for _how_ many years, and don't know the difference, yet? _How_ many times did we have 'The Talk', 'cause you couldn't seem to get it through your head, and _now_ you tell me you still don't know?"

That, though, started to turn the blonde's mood more toward angry than puzzled. "Hey, you old pervert! Your 'Talk' was horrible! Every time, it scarred me for life! I still have _nightmares_ about that crazy shit!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes again, further angering his pupil, before sitting back up on the stump and shutting up for a bit.  
"Listen," he began after a few minutes, with Naruto still fuming, "just because you don't agree with everything I have to say about women doesn't mean it's wrong. Sure, I make them seem a bit crazy- or a lot crazy. But that's because they _are_. At least, to the way men think. It's totally different. They don't get us either, though, so I can't feel too bad about it."  
When Naruto still looked confused, the older man continued, "Look... I'll try to make this simple, put it in 'guy terms' and all. But for that, you gotta tell me exactly what happened."

It took the younger a while before he spoke, but his long journey had taught him a few things about the self-proclaimed 'super pervert', and that while he was only rarely serious, he could be wiser than he acted by a long shot, if you gave him a chance- sometimes, anyway. With a sigh, Naruto explained. "- and then I got to Okaa-san, but Sakura was right behind me, and she told the old lady what happened, and she threw me back to Sakura, and she- ow, my ribs still hurt..."

While Naruto rubbed his left side, wincing, Jiraiya thought back to a similar event- all too similar, in his opinion- that had happened more than thirty years earlier, in a much different time. _Though, if I read the mountain- what's left of it- right, the place is pretty close. _"Listen, kid... first I'm gonna tell you what you did wrong, at least in Sakura's view, then I'm gonna tell you what you _should_ have done, so next time you know better. Okay?"

Naruto nodded, praying that Jiraiya stayed at least a little serious.

"First, you shouldn't have run. That just tells her that you _were_ thinking about saying no, anyway- even if you weren't. I don't know exactly what you could have said, it's a tough spot you were in, but you should have at least tried. The beating wouldn't have hurt so much. Maybe something like, 'no, I don't have a girlfriend, but there is someone I like'. Yeah, that's good. Use that, next time. Lets the other girl down easy, but in no uncertain terms." Jiraiya shot his foster son a look, "You _do_ want to turn down the other girl, right? Not Sakura? 'cause if you want to dump her, I'm not saving your ass. You can dig your own grave."

Naruto looked away, and Jiraiya sighed, expecting he'd have to ask Tsunade and Shizune _both_ to intervene to save the boy's life, before he spoke, "I don't know. I mean, Sakura... she's _Sakura_. I've... I've l- l- liked her, since... well, forever. But this other girl, she's really pretty, and strong, and smart, and... and I... I showed her my deepest, darkest secret, and she didn't run away. She... I don't know, it was like... like she _liked_ it, or something. She got all weird, and she did... well..."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Who is this other girl, anyway? That pretty Hyuuga heiress? The shy one?"

Naruto scoffed, "No way! She's real pretty, but totally not my type. I need... well, I want someone... more like Sakura. You know that, I told you that all the time when we were gone!"

Jiraiya laughed. "Yeah, yeah... I know. I even agree, a woman like that could really make a man happy, if they weren't so hung up on- well, if they wanted to."

Naruto seemed to be oblivious to the sudden far-off look of his sensei as he watched a blonde woman nearly as tall as he was walk through the camp in the distance.  
"It's... it's that Yamanaka girl. I think she said her name was Ino."

"A Yamanaka, huh? The one who Mind-Walked you while I was working on Orochimaru's letter?"

Naruto nodded.

"Wait, she was that blonde with the long hair, right?"

He nodded again.

"Hmm. She's got some looks, I'll give you that. A lot of guys would kill for a girl like her... bit young for me, but she's got it where it counts, if you know what I mean."

Naruto nodded yet again, before he realized what his sensei was implying, and slapped the back of his head with a scowl.

"And you say she's smart, and strong, and strong-willed? Hmm. Might be a good match, now I think of it."

Naruto's expression darkened further. "But I like Sakura."

The tone of his voice did nothing to dispel Jiraiya's thought process, though he did take the time to respond with a quiet, "Yeah, I know you do. But that doesn't mean your heart is only big enough for one person."

That took the younger man by surprise, though he recovered quickly. "Just because I think of you like my Otou doesn't mean I'm going to start trying to get with more than one girl at a time, you old pervert."

Jiraiya started, and looked over at his apprentice. "What? Oh... no, that's not what I meant. Listen, it may be a moot point anyway. We've got a pretty even mix of males to females, which is pretty surprising, really, but there are some... reasons why we might have to make certain choices. Choices that won't be easy, but might be necessary anyway."

Taken by surprise again by the sudden change in topic (or so he thought), Naruto asked, "What? What are you talking about?"

Jiraiya thought for a moment more, before asking, his eyes still on the distant Tsunade, "Let me run this idea by you. Try to think about it objectively, without letting your emotions into it at all, okay? After, if you want, you can tell me what you think on an emotional level- but you have to tell me honestly, if you do. Can you do that?"

"I'm not six still, sensei," the teen responded, now rolling his own eyes in a gesture remarkably like the man beside him doing it.  
"No, no you aren't... and that's why I'm asking you. You're about the wisest eighteen-year-old I've ever met, no thanks to me and Tsunade! But you're still pretty young, so I have to make sure.  
"So here's what I was thinking... there are certain bloodlines, certain traits, that Tsunade and I- and Fugaku and Hiashi too, if they knew about them, would want to keep active. But they're dying out. So... what would you think if, for the sake of protecting those bloodlines, we instituted a selective breeding program? Temporarily, of course- just to keep those lines active, for say, a generation or three, to make sure they're viable. If you were running the village, or on it's council- and we were a village for real, of course- what would you do if that came up?"

It was a mark of Naruto's real respect for his sensei that he even listened to the whole question- it sounded _suspiciously_ like a way to get his master into more skirts to him. However... _The Uchiha and Hyuuga wouldn't have to worry about it. They're big enough to be self-propagating, if they're careful. But Okaa-san- her ancestors used to be able to use Mokuton. Maybe she still carries the gene. I don't know about ero-sennin's family, but maybe he does too. Any kid he had would probably be powerful, anyway, just 'cause he is. Maybe the Yamanakas could benefit, or the Naras if they join up. The Inuzuka probably would, 'cause they already do, from what I've heard. I guess maybe the Hatake, if they join, and a few others... they've got pretty powerful techniques, might help to breed them. Kind of screws over the other guys though- I probably wouldn't have a chance, if it were instituted. But that's okay. I just want a small family anyway. If Sakura... well..._  
"I think I'd do it. But I'd want it to be really tightly controlled. You need the females to be _able_ to get pregnant, so they can't just go around all they want. You need the men to spread out, if they can, for a program like that to work- but not with the women in the program. I guess it'd be okay for two good lines to mix, 'cause you could get a kid with both or either. And each kid is likely to have _something_ worth carrying on. Everyone would have to _volunteer_, of course. I don't know how you'd entice them, except maybe with the chance to carry on a powerful line. Not like we can pay... and that's just disgusting, anyway. Maybe better housing or something. But it can't be _too_ good, or it'd just be like... prostitution or something. And we'd need to make sure each person- both the mother and father- are able and willing to support a child. Especially with each other, if they choose to. The kids have to come first, right?"

Jiraiya nodded, not saying a word. _He's got it, old man- he's got the Will of Fire for sure. He's young, but I think we can trust him with your dream. Maybe not just yet, but one day- he'll be ready. You should be proud too, you guys. I know you watch him- you'd better be, 'cause I sure as hell am._  
"You know, Naruto, I have some good news."

"What's that, ero-sennin?"

"I know you were thinking no one would want to carry on your line- but that's not entirely true."

"You- what are you talking about?"

"Well, you know how me and Tsunade rescued you after the sealing, right?"

The blonde nodded again. "Yeah- do you- do you actually _know_?"

This time, Jiraiya looked directly into his godson's eyes before responding. It would hurt, seeing both Minato and Kushina there while he said this, but he wouldn't put the boy through the experience of not even looking at his favorite student's only son when he told him 'everything'. "Yes. Tsunade and I have known all along."

Naruto didn't look away. _Somehow, I've always known... but it doesn't matter. They're still my Okaa and Otou, no matter who my birth parents are._ "And...? Who would abandon their kid like that, just because the Yondaime chose me to carry that damned fox?"  
Jiraiya's heart, stronger than mountains, the inspiration for "The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja" that Naruto had been named after, failed him. _Oh, Naruto... Abandon you? Never... neither of them. It wasn't like they had a choice..._

He tried to steel himself. He'd promised Tsunade that, eventually, he would be the one to tell the boy this last secret. She had wanted to, she said, but was too emotional- she was liable to lash out in pain. Jiraiya, she admitted, had more self-control- at least where Naruto and his tragic past was concerned.

_But I can't do it... not like this._  
"I'll... tell you what, you go take your R&R. I'll tell... _we'll_ tell you when you get back. Okay?"

He didn't like it, but Naruto nodded. He stood, watching Sakura, who was now talking to Tsunade as the two walked towards them, and asked, his voice so low Jiraiya almost couldn't hear it over the distant sounds of the ruins being cleared and new construction going up, "Why did they abandon me? Can you tell me that, at least? Were they just cowards? 'cause if they were... I'll _never_ be like that. Leaving my own child... I couldn't Not ever."

Tears welled in Jiraiya's eyes, but Naruto wasn't watching him. "No," he choked, his voice surprisingly even, "They didn't abandon you at all, Naruto. I'll... we'll explain it all when you get back. Go, enjoy yourself. I'm sorry I ruined your weekend like this."

Naruto nodded without a word, then walked off when the two medics were still about a hundred yards away. When they reached the old pervert, he was still sobbing.

At precisely four forty-five PM, according to his glance at the sun, Naruto's hand landed on the slightly rusted handle of the cabin door. At four forty-five PM and twenty-seconds, he slipped off his second sandal and dropped his backpack. At the same time, he failed to see the second pack, through almost no fault of his own- it was behind the back of the couch, and he would have had to enter the sitting area to see it.  
But as the young man headed straight for the bathroom at the bottom of the stairs with a desperate need to relieve himself, he noticed nothing.

At four forty-five PM and fifty-three seconds, his hand landed on the bathroom door handle.

At fifty-four seconds, the handle finished turning.

At fifty-five, he started pushing.

At fifty-six, he stopped.

Fifty-seven. _Sakura_.

Fifty-eight. _Naked Sakura._

Fifty-nine. _Naked. Sakura. Fist._

At precisely five PM, Naruto had a thought. It was profound in it's simplicity, but equally so in the deepness of it's meaning. _Shit._

When he came to, he was laying on a bed of grass, though he could smell flowers all around him. _And Sakura... she's here, somewhere._

He tried to open his eyes, but shut them at once, yelping in pain as his hands went to cover his right eye. _She blinded me!_

"Keep your eyes closed, baka. You've got some swelling."

Her tone was unmistakable- furious. _But I guess I deserved it... I always used to knock. I just didn't expect anyone to be here..._ "Hey, Sakura..."

The chakra he was just starting to feel around his eye- undoubtedly, she was starting a healing jutsu- faded away in uncertainty, but she said nothing, so he continued, "Sorry. I didn't think anyone would- I mean, I usually knock, and I didn't and-"

"Shut up, stupid," Sakura replied with a growl, "You're moving your face too much. I can't make the swelling go down like this."

It took a great deal of willpower to stop himself from moving, from continuing to do everything he could to make it up to her. It got harder when he started to blush. _I saw Sakura naked. I saw _everything_... for about a half second. Wow... she really is pink._

The young man tried to resist. He really did. But that image just wouldn't _go away_. It didn't help, of course, that she was the first real woman he'd ever seen totally nude. (Having resisted the urge- mainly because of the thought of Sakura waiting for him at home- in Jiraiya's dubious company) Or that she was the only one (until recently) his 'non-perverted nature' even _wanted_ to see naked. (I mean, really, who doesn't want to see everyone half-attractive naked? But no, he _really_ only wanted to see her. And maybe Ino. And that Hyuuga girl was pretty too. And maybe Obito's cousin, she was pretty cute, and-_NO!_

But still, that image stayed.

_She's pretty skinny. I can see her ribs. But there's a lot of muscle tone, too. Not too much, just enough to see she takes good care of herself. Kind of boyish figure- I know she hates that, but I think it's cute. Nice, long legs. Callouses show she knows how to work for herself. She's spent plenty of time in the forest gathering herbs, in the garden, cooking, cleaning, and doing medical work- and now clearing ruins. Those eyes- emerald green. They're the color of that necklace that one Rice noble wore that time. And those cute ears. I could rub them all day. And her hair's such a rare shade of pink, and it feels so soft, and it smells so good, and I just want to-_

"Hey! What the hell, Naruto!"

In surprise, he tried to open his eyes again, winced, then opened only his left a fraction.

Sakura was kneeling over him, glaring daggers. Her left hand was pointing down his stomach.

Dreading what he'd see, his good eye followed her hand.

_Yep. I'm officially dead. _

His pants were only sticking up around... oh, six inches out. And he was lying down.

With the woman of his dreams- and sometimes nightmares- kneeling over him, in total control of the situation.

So he did the only thing he could think of besides pass out. _And I know that'd be a bad idea!_

"Sorry, Sakura- you're just really hot!"

It's entirely possible that the world turned a full revolution- maybe more- before either of them had a coherent enough thought to notice.

Naruto's first thought was, _Oh crap, not again!_

Sakura's, coincidentally at the same time, _… really? He really does... think I'm hot?_

His was followed, a few moments later, with, _… I'm not dead? What- what's going on? Is that really Sakura?_ He attempted a subtle genjutsu release, but couldn't tell if he'd succeeded or not. The woman he was looking at- now fully clothed, thankfully- didn't move or waver or change.

Hers was a little less hesitant, less paranoid, but no less surprised. _I thought... once he met that Pig-girl, he'd see what a real woman looks like, and... and he'd see I'm not really pretty. But... Could he be lying?_

_No... it's Naruto. He doesn't lie- especially not to me._

Once it had been decided that the kunoichi would not, in fact, be killing Naruto for his opinion- or at least, stating it (with body as much as word)- he attempted to rise.

The look on his face- tinged dark red with embarrassment- convinced her that he was not, in fact lying.

_He really thinks... stupid Naruto. He could have anyone... why would he pick me?_

But when he started to sit up, she was at his side, helping him, as if the whole incident had never happened.

There was a moment of awkwardness when he saw the hole in the walls- there were two- and the pair realized they'd have to repair the damage before they went back. _Less rest for sure..._ and a much greater one when the two stopped at the bottom of the stairs and saw, once again, _that door_.

There was silence.

It might have been an hour or two long, Sakura couldn't tell. But eventually, she forced herself to say it. "Sorry, Naruto. I usually lock, but I didn't think anyone would-"

But she was interrupted by that _idiot_!  
"No, Sakura, it was my fault! I should have knocked. The door was closed, so-"

Her fist was half-cocked again when she caught herself, but at least he'd stopped talking, too. With effort, she forced it back down, then ground out, "No, Naruto, I'm the one who should apologize. Not you. If I'd locked it, you would have known to go upstairs. And you wouldn't have gotten in anyway."

The shinobi looked for a moment as if he wanted to deny she had any part in any wrongdoing- especially about showing him 'everything'- but a quick glare silenced him.

"Look, let's just forget it. You saw me. It happened. You've seen it all before, I'm sure, travelling with that pervert. Just- go to what you have to do in there. Let me just grab my brush first."

She stepped in, grabbed the item she'd had in her hand when he opened the door in the first place, and slipped past him. She was half way up the stairs to her bedroom when he said it.

Words she'd wanted to hear for... well, since puberty, at least. Maybe before that. Words she'd been terrified to hear, too.

"But I haven't. I only wanted... I only wanted to see you."

She couldn't bring herself to say anything. Instead, she took another step, and then another, before she got into her room. She shut the door as quietly as she could, and sunk to the floor, tears running down her face, the brush forgotten.

Sakura woke the next morning to the smell of eggs, and a quiet knock on her bedroom door.

Being a trained ninja, it didn't take her long to assess the situation.

She wasn't in her bed, but at least she was in her bedroom. _Still feels like I slept in a tent again... or worse._ She wasn't fully dressed, but she was decent enough- wearing her house clothes, at least, including her slippers.  
She wasn't _wounded_, per say, but she definitely hurt. _My back is just killing me..._

The young woman stood up and called out, "Yeah?"

"I found some eggs from those chickens out back, fried 'em up. Got some sausage from the fridge. Didn't find much in the garden, though. Wrong season or something. Sorry to wake you up."

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, as the guilt from the day before washed over her again.

_But why should I feel guilty? I'm the one who got peeked on! He saw it all, and now he can go on to someone prettier and leave me to turn into an old spinster like Shishio, and-_

_No. Naruto's not like that. He said I was hot. He said..._

_But you aren't,_ that same traitor voice in her head replied, _you aren't pretty at all. Even your hair- how can you be a ninja when your own hair reveals where you're hiding? You should just shave it all off. It wouldn't make you any more ugly- that'd be hard to do- but at least it'd be harder to spot you in a crowd._

_Who cares if I'm ugly? At least then the outside matches the inside..._

Her musings were interrupted by another knock. "Sakura? You coming down? It's getting cold."

A few minutes later, she finally joined him at the table. His eye was a dark brown, swollen nearly shut. And considering how quickly she knew he healed, that just meant the damage had been considerable.

"Naruto, I..." she began, but was unable to find the words.

He looked up at her, his fork filled with sausage half-way to his mouth. "Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

She looked at him for a moment, then shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. "Nothing, never mind. You can stay, you obviously expected to get some quiet, alone time on your weekend, so I'll go find something else to do."

Naruto seemed surprised. "But didn't you come out here for the same reason?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but-"

"Then stay. We can stay together, if you want. I'm cool with it. I'll stay out of your way. And maybe we can get in some sparring if you want, too."

The pinkette couldn't bring herself to look at her best friend. "Listen... how come you're so nice to me? I mean, I treat you like crap, Naruto. I have ever since you got back. Hell, before that, even. But you never fight back, you never say a word... does it just not matter to you what I think? I know I'm a selfish bitch, but... don't I matter at all?"

Naruto's eyes widened for a moment, before the corners of his mouth twitched up.

Sakura's first instinct was anger- but she forced that down. _Am I going to keep acting like that forever? If I do, I'll _deserve_ to end up like Tsunade-shishio!_ Her second was fear, fear that he'd reject her. It was powerful, more than she'd felt even in her room after she'd woken. Her third, though, was simple surprise.

Naruto had stood quickly, and walked around the table to place his big hands on her shoulders. "Sit," he commanded, pushing her gently into the chair opposite his own. "Eat," he ordered after she had, her eyes wider still.  
Hesitantly, she picked up the fork he'd set by her plate and picked up a bite. She didn't put it in her mouth, though. _I'm not worthy to eat his cooking..._  
"_Eat_," he commanded again, this time more forcefully.

Without really knowing why, she complied.

"Keep eating until it's gone. Then we can talk."

Several minutes later, mostly because he'd refilled her plate before it was gone, despite her protests that she would get fat like a cow, he put his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together, looking over them at his best friend.

Still moving mechanically, because quite frankly she wasn't sure what was going on, she pushed her empty plate aside and set her hands in her lap under the table, mostly to keep him from seeing their nervous twitching.

The young man looked at the young woman for several more minutes, analyzing what he saw, computing, and even a bit of feeling, as well. She, in turn, tried _not_ to look at him. Mostly she succeeded. But since she was confused, conflicted, and afraid, Sakura was not able to plan for the conversation like her friend was.

"Why did you eat that food?"

Her eyes widened. "You made me."

"Did I?"

She nodded, suddenly even less sure.

"Did I grab your hand, and force it to move? Did I use chakra strings, or wire? A mental command?"

She shook her head, "No... but you told me to."

"Am I your master? Your daimyo, your commander, father, mother, or your Kage?"

"Of course not." She was, if anything, even more confused by this point.

Naruto, though, just smiled internally, never letting a hint of it show. _Yep, Me, Shizune, Okaa-san and Ero-sennin all know it for sure. Sakura _hates_ rhetorical reasoning. _"So how did I make you?"

"You- I- fine, you didn't make me. Okay? Are you happy?"

The sudden fit of pique didn't do her any good- Naruto knew her too well. "Nope. You're lying. I _did_ make you."

Now, Sakura was well and truly convinced that Naruto had no idea what he was talking about. _At least that explains why I don't either..._ "But you just said-"

"No, you said. You said I made you. But it wasn't by any of the methods I listed. You were right both times."

"I- what?"

Now, an astute observer, especially one who knew the two parties would probably be surprised by this. Sakura was very intelligent, and while Naruto was as well, their talents generally suggested that the current 'leader' in this contest of words would _not_, in fact, be the blonde young man.  
And yet...

"Simple, really. I made you. I know it, you know it. At least, you admitted it. You just don't know how.

Want me to tell you?"

She nodded._ Maybe, if I'm lucky, it'll even make sense..._

"It was too parts, really. There was a subtle bit of chakra manipulation- a very minor Genjutsu, I guess you could say. You probably didn't even notice. Maybe you did, but didn't stop it. I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. The biggest part, though, is because you _wanted_ to do what I told you to do. So when I suggested it, your brain- hardwired to obey me- took it as an imperative, which it was."

… _wow, I didn't think it really would make sense. Except that part about hard-wiring my-_

"Right now, you're thinking your brain isn't hard-wired. But it is, and I can prove it."

"How?" She was too surprised by his accuracy to deny it.

"I can _make_ you want to hit me. I can _make_ you punch me, even though you feel guilty for doing it before."

She laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "Riiight, sure you can. Gonna use a Genjutsu again?"

"Nope," he said with a grin, "something even better. Come over here, you need to be closer to do it."

She hesitated, thinking that was part of the trick, but his grin gave it away. _No, he's got something trickier in mind..._

When Sakura was standing right in front of him, her hands on her hips, he looked into her eyes and said, quite calmly, "Take all your clothes off. I want to see you again. I want to touch you."

The reaction was as quick as it was predictable.

This time, she wasn't able to stop herself. Naruto was ready, though, and caught her fist, pulling her close so that she couldn't get in another strike before he had his arms around her. "Ssh, ssh- it was just to prove a point, Sakura. I don't really- well, I _do_, but I- now's not a good time."

It was as if her world had turned upside-down.

She'd always been the smart one, the better student, the better planner, the better- well, the smart one.

But she'd just been outwitted by him so easily...

It was too much.

On top of everything else she'd learned in the last months, everything she'd done, the changes she- they'd all- gone through.

Before she knew it, her arms were around Naruto's neck, face buried in the hollow above his clavicle, and tears running down the front of his t-shirt.

His own arms were already around hers, but their touch was gentle, supportive rather than constraining. "Ssh, it's okay, Sakura. You don't have to cry."

"But I- I'm so horrible to you! And you don't deserve it, you deserve-"

"I don't care what I deserve. I only care what I want. What I need."

It took several hours before the meaning behind his words sunk through her own agony, but by then, he'd already fallen asleep with her on his lap, both of them sitting on a straining kitchen chair.

She tried to stand, but his arms wouldn't move.

_Damn it... Naruto... why can't I just tell you? Why can't you just tell me? Why do we have to keep hinting?_

But no answers were forthcoming, as Naruto stayed asleep, even through her lugging his much larger and denser frame up into his bed, through two different medical treatments on his eye (finally reducing the swelling to almost nothing), and dinner as well, hastily thrown together from Naruto's own leftovers.

_At least one of us is getting some rest..._

**AN2**: Your reviews for the last chapter were awesome, so here I am begging for more (or at least, suggesting it kindly). I like 'em. :D

I've got an urge to work on LB2 next, so that'll probably be my next post, but then again, I'm also spinning out more for this in my head pretty much constantly this week, so maybe more of it will come first. We'll see. (I could always 'try' and 'plan' to do 2 here 1 LB, but we all know how well THAT would work out)

Still, at least there's something, right?

Also, as a (not really) quick note: I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again since someone had a problem with it (or at least commented in a review, maybe a PM, about it)-

This story WILL be Naruto/Sakura/Ino. I don't know that Ino and Sakura will ever be doing 'stuff' together. Ino has, already, some interest in females, but has not expressed interest in Sakura. She has admitted that Ino is pretty, but has, again, expressed no interest. That may or may not change. As well, I could just leave it as my version of the "Clan recreation act" (which the topic between Jiraiya and Naruto toward the end of their conversation should have made plain), but given that it's Naruto, there's no way it'd be artificial. (And that'd just be boring, and totally suck for Ino- because let's face it, in this story, he'd choose Sakura if he had to pick between them)

There will not be other females involved with Naruto in this story- not for lack of trying. He's just not interested. (He has enough work cut out for him with those two)  
Besides, Tenten, Shina (a possible female Shino- not decided on that yet), Hinata, Hanabi, Ami (yes, Ami), Anko, Shizune, Tsunade, Moegi, Ayame, Tsunami, Shion, Koyuki, Isaribi, and/or any _other_ female I could/might bring into the story is basically already spoken for- even without this story's CRA. (It won't be called that when/if it gets made official, by the way- that's a horrible name for a law, even an edict) There may be some harem-like elements, (ie, many kids having the same father) but it will be a footnote at best- and not for any of the main characters. If they choose to take part in the CRA, it will be small-scale, for sheer believability. (Not to mention, that while I may be a sadist, I wouldn't wish five (or even really three!) wives on anyone- I mean, can you even really _imagine_ putting Tsunade, Anko, Shion, Sakura, and Ino (or Hanabi, or Hinata, or...) in a room with one man, and saying "He's it. Forever. You'll never see another man as long as you live", and then expecting anything but death and chaos? I can't. Frankly even trying is going to give me nightmares.)

Anyway, I'm sorry if that decision bothers you- but it's final. Read or don't. But as much as I write for the readers, it's ultimately my story (though of course not my characters or world, for the most part) and it needs to go the way I need it to, or it just won't get done. (I think that's why many stories get abandoned, actually- too much changing of the original plot to please others can make a story unworkable very quickly)

So have a good day/afternoon/evening, and I hope to see you (and your reviews!) soon for another chapter. :)


	12. Chapter 12: Cabin Fever

**A/N:** Thanks a million for the superlative reviews (again, there were a lot!) for Chap. 11! Not as much in the way of 'constructive criticism' as last time, but still a fair bit- more than I usually get.  
Again, this wait isn't as long as you've been experiencing, which is awesome. It's not as long as last time, though a little longer than usual- 5+ single-spaced pages. It's strictly NarutoxSakura, though- DRUMROLL PLEASE- Shika is introduced. Yay! (He only gets about half a page of screentime, though, but fear not- we'll see more of him)

Again, no lemon, it won't be till the next chapter- or maybe much later- but it is coming.

Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 12 Cabin Fever**

Naruto woke up a few minutes after sunrise the next day to the feeling of blissful relief. His head had been pounding ever since he'd woken up from Sakura's punch the previous day, but now it was pain-free. In fact, he felt great! Except- why couldn't he move?

_Am I- paralyzed? No, I can still move my fingers. At least, I think they're moving. But why are my hands behind my back?_

_Yep, that's definitely my fingers moving. Hee, it kind of tickles._

"You awake yet, sleepy-head?"

The voice, calm and relaxed, woke Naruto up at once. _Sakura!_ "Sakura-chan?"

"Who else would it be? We're the only ones here, remember?"

Finally, Naruto opened his eyes. There, sitting on her favorite chair across the living room from himself, sat the rosette. She was wearing her pajamas still, judging by the cloth he could see peeking out of her ankles from the bottom of her house-coat, which was untied by wrapped firmly around her. _I can't read her expression at all. And why is she- why does she keep _looking_ at me? Is there something on my face? Do I have bed-head? And why am I on the couch, anyway?_

"Confused, yet?"

Not knowing what else to do, the young man nodded.

"Good," Sakura replied, "Because you confused the hell out of me yesterday. Just to let you know. You can rub it in, if you want."

His eyes widened, and Naruto stammered, "I-, I con- what?"

There was a tiny hint of amusement- exasperated amusement, but amusement nonetheless- in her eyes when she clarified, "With that speech you gave me about me being hard-wired to listen to you."

It took a few seconds for the memory to come back, mostly because he'd been suffering from a pounding headache and couldn't really say he was functioning at full capacity. "Yeah, heh heh... sorry about all that. I had a headache, and I was kind of out of it. I didn't mean to piss you off, or say all that-"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura interrupted with a pseudo-stern tone, "it's my turn to talk."

Demonstrating a surprising amount of insight, he closed his mouth at once and devoted his entire attention to the girl in front of him.

"Right then, I bet you're wondering why you're tied up."

Naruto started. He hadn't noticed at all, actually. "I'm- why am I tied up?"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "Because I need to talk to you, and I don't want you running away again, or getting mad and stalking off, or breaking anything. I just want to talk- and only talk. Like adults."

_Is it crazy that I know exactly what she means- I mean, it's not like she's using giant words or anything- but it still seems like I have no idea what she's talking about, or what she wants? Maybe Ero-sennin's right, and girls _are_ crazy. Or maybe we're the crazy ones._

"Uh, okay?"

If she noticed his hesitancy, she didn't react, except to take a deep breath and close her eyes, before beginning. "Yesterday, you kind of surprised me- and I don't mean by the walking-in-on-me thing. I mean... with your reaction. And with what you said... both times."

She must have taken pity on him, because she explained further, "with the, uh... _reaction_ you had, and when you said I was- was- umm-"

"Hot."

"Yes, that," Sakura said, blushing furiously now.

Naruto felt his own cheeks heat up, but didn't dare say anything more. _She hates being interrupted, even if it's to help her._  
"And then you said you hadn't seen- or hadn't done any- well- but you said you only wanted to with me, and- and I- I mean... _damn_ it," she suddenly shouted, "why is it so damned hard to just say it?"

Again showing that he wasn't stupid all the time, Naruto kept his mouth shut, waiting patiently for her brain to catch up to her mouth. Or maybe he just didn't know what she was going to say, either.

"So, I, I mean... ugh! I hate hormones!"

That, Naruto could relate to. He nodded emphatically, but again kept his mouth shut.

She was silent for a while longer, though he could tell she was thinking furiously about what she wanted to say. _I hope she hurries, this is starting to get uncomfortable. How long have I been tied up, anyway?_  
"So... did you mean it?"

One eye narrowed. "Mean what?"

One of her own green ones copied the action, and her tentative, unsure grimace turned into an annoyed frown at once. "All of it. Everything."

"Of course, Sakura-chan. You know I don't lie- I suck at it, anyway."

She nodded. _That's certainly true. Baka can't lie to save his life._ "So... you really liked... you liked seeing... me?"

Now, Naruto knew a trap when he saw one. And he knew Sakura. While, on the surface, this was most definitely a trap- and one with almost no escape- Sakura was only insecure about one thing, and one thing only. So he did what he could, knowing the consequences, willing to be beaten senseless again- or worse- to make her feel better. "Kami, Sakura, even thinking about it now is getting me hard!"

Both her eyes twitched, and her fists clenched.

When both emerald orbs had opened fully again, Sakura forced her hands to relax, folding them calmly- at least outwardly- back on her lap before crossing her ankles to give herself a moment. She looked into her best friend's eyes for a long time, then looked down his chest, down, down...

_Oh Kami, she's checking! She's going to see, and then she'll hit me, and I'll-_

But she most certainly did see, and she did not stand up to hit him. Instead, her eyes widened slightly, her cheeks tinged just a little more, before Naruto noticed that she appeared to be _trying_ to force her eyes away, but couldn't. In the end, Sakura had to jerk her head to break the contact before she could look at Naruto's face again. "So... I guess you did. Am I... I'm really pretty? You really think I'm good-looking?"

He nodded, his expression grave. "Yes. I think you're the prettiest, most attractive woman in the world."

_Kami, I hope she unties me soon!_

"Do you... do you think about, you know... me? Us? T- together? Like, _together_? In the same... umm..."

"You mean, do I think about you naked? In bed? With me?"

She nodded again, unable to finish her thought out loud.

"What will you do if I say I don't? What will you do if I say I do?"

Her expression had fallen after the first sentence, but rose slightly after the second.

"I... I don't know what I'd do if you say you don't. If you say you do, then... I don't know. I'm sorry."

Naruto tried flexing his fingers, but it was getting harder to move them. _Maybe if I twist my wrists..._ "Well, I can't say I don't. Because I do. All the time. Sakura, I'm... I'm sorry I don't say it all the time, I'm sorry I've never even said it to you, so I'm going to fix that right now, and to hell with the consequences."

Her breath hitched. _Is he really? Does he? Take that, Ino-Pig!_

"I love you, Sakura. You. Not the fake you that you show everyone. Not your temper, not your body- even though I love that too- or your brain, or how strong you are, or... I just love all of you. It's... simple. Just love. Nothing more, nothing less."

About half of Sakura's mind was completely shut down by the end of that statement, overwhelmed with joy. The other half- the half Sakura thought of, rather unkindly, as the 'I hate myself half' was screaming out things like 'ha, yeah, you make a great sister!' and 'he's just lying, no one could love a nag like you!'. But, luckily, it seems that Naruto brought out the best of Sakura, and she was able to ignore the small, hateful parts of her own mind, and let the rest of her run free.

And run free she did, after a few minutes.

She stood suddenly, and headed toward the door. When she reached it, the kunoichi paused and turned half-way to Naruto, "I forgot I have to tell Shishio something. Don't burn the house down, I'll be back by dinner."

And then she was gone.

Part of Naruto was truly concerned. _She didn't take that very well. Did I scare her? What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she thinks of me like a brother, and I just totally disgusted her? What if, what if, what if!_  
But the much larger part, the part that most people knew all too well, was only wondering, _Hey, who the hell is going to untie me? I'm hungry, my hands are asleep, and I've gotta _pee!

There was a knock at the door a few hours later, but in his pain-filled state, Naruto could only mutter, "come in", and not in a voice loud enough to be heard outside. There was a second knock a few minutes later, this time he was able to actually croak. Apparently whoever was outside had good hearing, though, because the door slowly opened a moment later.

He was looking out of the corner of his eye, but at once the blonde could tell this wasn't who he was expecting. Sakura, most likely. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, maybe even Ino or Sasuke, since they'd both been told at least the general location of the cabin. But this man was a total stranger. Taller even than Naruto, he had to stoop a little to get into the door, his hair was dark, and he had a decent tan, though nowhere near as dark as Fugaku's skin was.  
"You're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you?"

The man's voice was a low drawl that reminded Naruto of, for some odd reason, the forest itself. "Uh... yeah, that's me, I guess. Hey, I don't know who you are or anything, but can you maybe, you know, get me out of here? I _really_ gotta pee!"

"I donno, seems like a lot of work to me."

Naruto cricked his neck trying to get a better look at the asshole mocking his predicament, but succeeded only in knocking his chair over, so that he landed on his face. "Ow!"

"Tch, fine," the other man complained, "hold still."

Moments later, a wincing Naruto didn't spare the newcomer a glance before he tore across the room and threw open the door at the bottom of the staircase.

He didn't bother shutting it, either, which amused the other man to no end, though he only smirked a little.

When Naruto had finished his 'duties', he returned to the living room with a great smile of relief plastered across his face. "Hey, listen, man, thanks a bunch! That feels _so _good! I've been holding it in for like... hours!"

The taller man raised an eyebrow, though Naruto had the impression that even doing that might have been too much effort for the stranger. "Hey, so... who are you, anyway?"

"Nara..." he yawned mid-introduction, "Shika... maru. You got anything I can sit on? I'm tired."

The blonde thought that was a bit of an odd question, since he'd just been freed from a chair, and there were two other armchairs and a couch in that very room.

"Uh, sure? Have a seat, I guess... you want something to drink?"

"Nah, that's too bothersome. I just came to tell you that I was going to Konoha to talk to the old man and lady, and... I guess I'd better talk to that Hyuuga and the bitchy Uchiha Clan Head too, though that's probably more trouble than it's worth."

"Okay..."

"So, yeah..." finally the dark-haired young man decided it was worth the work to take six steps, and flopped into the nearest chair- sideways. He looked up at Naruto, apparently expecting a reaction aside from 'okay', but got nothing.

Eventually, though, the blonde cottoned on. "Right, so... you're Nara Shikamaru. Hey, that's why you look familiar! You were with that Shikaku guy, when we stopped by the Nara house on our mission!"

Shikamaru blinked, "yeah, I was there. He's my dad, and he makes me be there when he answers the door. Says I need practice with diplomacy or something- too much work for me. But hearing my mom whine if I don't do it is even more troublesome, so..."

"Right..." Naruto said. _What the hell... at least he _has_ a mom and dad! You'd think he'd be a bit more grateful. And didn't that Shikaku guy- his dad, I guess- say they weren't going to ally with us yet?_  
"So... what about what Sh- your dad- said? Didn't he want to wait until we were stronger before he joined up?"  
Shikamaru nodded.

"So... why're you here?"

"I'm joining up."

Now, Naruto was truly confused. "But he said-"

With a roll of his eyes, the other teen explained, "Listen up, 'cause it's way too bothersome to repeat myself. I'm here on my own. My dad's already mad I left, but he'll get over it. I'm here because I think I should be, even if he doesn't."

"Well.. why didn't you just say so?"

Shikamaru blinked. "I did."

"No, you said you- nevermind! Whatever. You need to see Okaa-san and Ero-sennin? They're at the camp, probably. Their tents are around the middle, usually, you can't miss 'em. They're the ones with desks outside."

The young man nodded again, "I know."

Naruto stood there for about ten minutes before his patience- never in abundance- wore out. "So... aren't you going? I thought you needed to meet with them?"

"I guess," the black-haired man said with a prolonged sigh, "help me up?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Help you up? What are you, a cripple? You got over to my chair fast enough!"

"Yeah, and you owe me a favor. Next time, should I just leave you to piss on the floor?"

Grumbling, the blonde held out a hand for the other to grasp, which he did so with apparent reluctance. He was taking too long to stand, though, so Naruto yanked him quickly to his feet.

The other boy's eyes widened. "Woah... is that what it looks like to move fast? Freaky."

Then, without another word (and only a casual wave of one hand), Shikamaru walked out of the cabin and into the forest in the direction of the ruins.

As he left, Naruto could see a patch of pink rapidly approaching from the trees. It paused by the dark-haired man for a moment, and he imagined Sakura was asking him who he was, but the other boy probably thought it was too much work to respond and ignored her. _Great, now she'll take it out on __me..._

But when the rosette arrived at the cabin's front door holding a basket of laundry, she only asked, "What was that Nara kid doing here? I thought they wouldn't ally with us?"

Naruto explained, but she still seemed as confused as he was by the whole affair.

A few hours later, Naruto finally got up the nerve to ask Sakura, "So, that big, important thing you had to ask Okaa-san about was laundry?"

They were currently working in the cabin's garden, pulling weeds, which for Sakura was a necessity, and for Naruto was something of a hobby- he found dealing with plants easier than people much of the time, since they didn't talk back, and were even less likely to judge him about his 'tenant'- if they could even know about it. "Oh, no- hey, how did you get out, anyway? I tied those pretty tight."

"That Shikamaru guy cut me out. Good thing too, I was about three seconds from peeing all over myself!"

Sakura shuddered and slapped his shoulder, "That's gross, Naruto!"

"But Sakura-chan, you're the one who tied me up! I had to pee before we even talked, and-"

"I don't care! Learn to control yourself! Are you a shinobi, or a baby?"

He shot her a dark look, only to find that while her tone was harsh, she was smiling softly, her cheeks a little pink, and refusing to meet his eyes. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

She shook her head, and said with wide eyes, "Oh, no! I'd never make fun of the great Uzumaki Naruto-sama! He's much too _powerful_ and _important_ to make fun of! I'm afraid if I even thought of it, I'd explode from the shame!"

He couldn't help it.  
Half a moment later, he was rolling on the ground, Sakura beside him, smiling. _No, no- she can't get by with just this!_

Without a moment's hesitation, he was suddenly on his knees in front of her, his fingers dancing up and down her ribs as she howled with laughter.

After a moment, though, he paused, now half-way over her as she lay on her back.

Sakura looked up at him when she regained control of herself, and asked, "Naruto? What's wrong?"

"You're warm."

She snorted. "Well, that's a bit of a downgrade. Yesterday I was 'hot'. Now I'm just warm?"

He grimaced. _Apparently that wasn't as funny to him as it was to me._ "No, really, you're warm. Like, you feel like you have a fever."  
She put her own forehead on his, and at first he jerked away, but when she sat up before him and grabbed his head to repeat the gesture, he sat still long enough to get a good reading. "You're pretty cool, so maybe I do. I feel all right, maybe a little tired. I just thought it was overwork."

Sakura was surprised by something she never thought she'd see. Irresponsible, care-free, laid-back Naruto was suddenly a mother hen worse than Shizune ever had been.  
Within five minutes, she was sitting on her own bed, with the covers pulled back, a set of clean pajamas beside her (sans underwear, which she'd strictly forbidden him- on pain of death- to ever touch), and the shinobi bowing himself out of the room with a quick, "get those on and get into bed, I'll make some soup."

Fighting the urge to go into shock at the sudden change in their location and his mood, much less the perhaps-worrisome, perhaps-blessed changes in their own relationship, _I mean, since when- after the age of nine or so- has Naruto even dared tickle me?_ Sakura methodically stripped off her clothing and slipped the pajamas on- taking care to put on clean underwear as well. _What's the point of getting some of my extras from camp, if I don't wear them _?

When Naruto came back upstairs, he knocked once on the door, and opened it slowly to find Sakura sitting up in her bed, reading. _At least she's under the comforter..._ "Hey, Sakura-chan. I got the soup ready. It's miso, hope that's okay."

"It's fine, Naruto. Will you sit with me for a minute?"

He nodded, a little surprised. He'd been in here plenty of times, of course, but he was usually chased out- it wasn't often that she'd actually invite him to stay. He sat in the only seat in the room, which was at her desk- currently piled high with theoretical medical scenarios- while she blew on a spoonful of the miso and soba soup.

"You said you meant everything, right?"

It took only a moment for his brain to shift gears, fortunately. "Of course, Sakura."

"So..." she was suddenly hesitant again, though this time, Naruto wasn't sure if the flush in her cheeks was due to embarrassment or the 'deadly illness' he suspected she'd contracted from overwork. "So you really do l- l-"

He nodded, standing up, and boldly made his way over to her bed, where he sat carefully beside her, making sure not to spill the soup- the tray wasn't large enough to hold the full bowl, anyway. "I love you, yes. With all my heart."

She nodded, cheeks coloring further. "I... I l- love you too, N-Naruto."

He nodded as well, mimicking her movements, "I know. I've known since I got back... maybe before."

"So... I still don't know what to think."

"About what?" he asked, a little taken aback.

"Well... you... the way you act around, like, that Hyuuga princess, or Ino-pig, or... even Hana-san, sometimes, it makes me think... that I'm not good enough, or something."

He nodded again, looking down at his hands as if he was trying to find something to do with them besides just hold them in his lap. "I know... I shouldn't, but I can't help it. You're the most beautiful person in the world, and... I can't help it, Sakura! I'm sorry, I wish I could, but... I know, I'm a horrible guy for looking at other girls when I have you right next to me, but I-"

His sudden tears stopped when Sakura, having placed the tray on the nightstand, wiped them away with one of her thumbs. "Naruto... you're a man. Men look. Shishio and Shizune-nee-chan may not have been the most... um... 'romantic' when they explained about... that stuff... but I've read a _lot_, and I know a few things about the way males are compared to females. Besides... I think you're the best-looking man on the planet, but I still think Sasuke's good-looking. Except for that stupid haircut, anyway."

Naruto sputtered, but in the end, forced out a grin. "So... so you don't hate me, for... for looking?"

She shook her head a little sadly. "Not as long as it's _just_ looking, no. I don't know if I could hate you even if you did... more. But I don't want you to. I want you to... only do 'more' with me."

Now, as has been explained before, Naruto was no fool. He knew exactly what she meant. He _had_ been trained by Ero-sennin, after all. But still, only one thought was able to get through his head. _Sakura... she wants to do 'more' with me! _YES!

**AN2**: Your reviews for the last chapter were awesome, so here I am begging for more (or at least, suggesting it kindly). I like 'em. :D

No plans for LB2 any time soon. I'm working on the next chapters, of course, but as usual, One Hour is the big fanfic baby, so it gets the most attention.

Odds are, I'll be posting more OH sometime next week. I've got a sudden plot bunny I need to let out, and it involves the Hatake and Nara clans, which is why I brought in Shika a little earlier than I'd intended.

As a final thought: "Spirit", and others: While I do appreciate unsigned/unlogged reviews as much as the signed/logged ones, I prefer to respond to my reviewers to answer their questions, etc. (I think review answers in-chapter are a pain to read and write, and too easily give spoilers) So I'm not going to respond to your question- but I will say, if you want to ask it again with a way I can PM you, I will. Thanks. :)


	13. Chapter 13: Truth

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all the reviews (though not so many...), they mean a lot. :) I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so much (1200+ individual readers just in June so far, if that many people bought a book, I'd be livin' large :D)!  
The majority of this chapter- up to the last scene break- was written more than a week ago, but I couldn't continue that scene in my emotional state. Those who're familiar with writing probably know that it can be a very trying experience, mentally and emotionally. That, combined with real life issues, left me needing a bit of a break. But I and the story are both in tip-top shape now, so on we go!

Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 13 Truth**

For the remainder of their slightly-extended weekend (Naruto had been given permission to care for Sakura until she was at 100%, which took until Tuesday), the pair discussed little of importance to either of themselves. Their own confessions, while certainly sincere, were not enough to allow either of them to actually start _acting_ like what they undoubtedly were- a couple. But the two had been so close for so long, that there was little difference anyway. Perhaps Sakura was a bit more understanding that Naruto did not, in fact, think exactly like she did, and refrained from taking out her temper on him a bit more. The blonde, for his part, was happy to care for his love, which is something she'd done for him many times, but never had the opportunity to repay.

The fact that she was 'grateful' enough to repeat- many times- that she was, in fact, in love with him did nothing to help that happiness along, of course.

Still, when Sakura's professional opinion of her own health finally announced 'I'm fit', the two reluctantly filled their packs and began the journey through the forest back towards the ruins.  
For the first time, they actually encountered pickets, patrols of two ninja, or a ninja and an armed civilian, patrolling the forests immediately surrounding the ruins. The first time, the pair thought nothing of it. _Probably just friends out for a walk, or something._ The second time, again, it didn't strike much interest.

On the fourth encounter, though, the young ninja shared a look, and Sakura murmured under her breath, "I guess they really are taking Orochimaru's letter seriously. Unless it's something else... let's hurry back."  
Naruto nodded, and the two suddenly started sprinting through the forest for the last few miles to the ruins.

When they cleared the line of trees into the blasted area where the Kyuubi no Kitsune had demolished everything in sight, they were immediately greeted by Sasuke and Ino, the pair of them hurtling along the ground straight towards them, shoulders tense.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, as soon as they'd gotten close enough to speak normally. With a fit of pride, he noticed that Sakura, despite their haste, was not breathing heavily, but the other two were.  
"There's a patrol from Suna in the area. We aren't sure what's going on, or why they're so far east of the border, but it's at least twenty ninja. It could be a problem, so we're ramping security up. Tsunade-sama sent us to get you and bring you to the hospital, where she's holding a meeting."

"Right," Sakura and Naruto said together with a nod. As the group moved further into the ruins, Ino continued to shoot Naruto glances that clearly said 'I want you'. At least, he thought that's what that look meant- it was similar to the way she'd been looking at him during the mind-walk. Once he noticed Sakura's eye start to twitch, though, he calmly took her hand in his, causing the rosette to smile softly and the blonde to scowl. Sasuke, if he noticed, didn't react at all.

"-outs report that the Suna patrol is a full platoon, and we still-" the speaker cut off mid-sentence when the door opened to let the four younger ninja inside. The hospital- still the only mostly-complete solid building- had a single conference room large enough to hold the senior ninja of the founding/rebuilt village. Naruto's eyes swept the room at once, something he'd been trained to do since he could walk. _Fugaku, Obito, Itachi, Sasuke, of course. Hiashi, Hizashi, Neji, even Hinata's here. I don't know that white-haired guy, but he's probably a Hatake. There's that Akimichi family that showed up last week, and Shikamaru. I wonder how they drug the lazy ass up here so early. No other Naras, though. Stingy pricks. There's Hana-nee-chan, and Kiba-teme, Ero-sennin, Okaa-san, Shizune-nee-chan, that Inoichi guy- guess they're signing up for real, if he's still here. There's a few others I don't know, but they look like they're listening pretty close to what Okaa says._

The group filed to the back of the room and leaned against the wall in the only clear spot large enough for the four of them to stay together. The choice of position was unfortunate, in Naruto's eyes, because while he was close to Neji, he was also close to Hiashi, his friend's uncle. The older man didn't react to his proximity, though. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring him completely, though he gave the other three a faint nod of greeting.

"As I was saying," Tsunade began again, "it's a full platoon. We don't know what they're doing here, but it's probably not good. They were our ally, and they betrayed us during our hour of greatest need- we can't count on them being friendly. We have an experienced scout out getting their exact force and heading now, but until Inuzuka Tsume returns, we just won't know for sure what we're dealing with. Last we saw, they were heading on an intercept course with the mountain, so if they turn east, they'll skirt us, if they turn north to get around it, they'll probably go through the ruins- and find us. We need to be ready. As much as I don't want to let them know _anything_'s going on here, we can afford that better than to have a single message get back to Sunagakure- or any of the other nations- what we're doing here."

Fugaku nodded, rising, "I agree, Tsunade-sama. We should be ready to defend ourselves. I do not, however, think we have the right to attack without provocation. While patrols from the other nations into Hi no Kuni are rare, they are not unheard of. For many of the people living here for the last eighteen years, those patrols are the only 'law' they know. It wouldn't get us any support to attack them without warning."

Naruto was surprised. _That actually makes sense. I never thought I'd hear that kind of talk from a bastard like him._ "I agree," Hiashi said, shooting a cold look at his fellow Clan Head, "but we must be ready to meet them with overwhelming force if it does come to violence."

Tsunade nodded, sitting down at the small table where she, Jiraiya, Inoichi, and Hana sat. _And I wonder why Hiashi and Fugaku aren't up there. Maybe Okaa's trying to show them they aren't as powerful as they think, politically? But it's a bit early for politics at all, I think... of course, if I had my way, it always would be._ "I agree. So, does anyone have anything to say against that? Any reason why we shouldn't be ready with a much-superior force, in case they come across us or turn to violence?"

Tentatively, Ino raised her hand, unsure if she would be allowed to speak. Watching out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see her father smile from across the room. "Um... wouldn't it be a good idea for me or my father to be in the advance force, to maybe see what their commander is planning? We could give a little warning, at least, or maybe take control and get them to turn around or something."

The older blonde woman looked at the golden-blonde man beside her before turning back to Ino, "I think that's a good idea. So there are no objections, then?"

Silence.

"Very well," Tsunade resumed, in what Naruto had come to think of as her 'I'm the boss' voice, "Let's start hearing ideas for team placement, strategy, and leadership. For what it's worth, I want an even mix of novices and semi-experienced ninja, with only a few older ninja to fill leadership roles. We need to keep our core strength hidden, just in case some of them get away. Make it look like this squad we're sending out is most of our force, so we aren't a threat."

For two hours, the meeting continued, until at last there was a final plan. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru would be forming the 'advance unit', with the three males' duty being to protect Ino during her jutsu, when she was extremely vulnerable, and Sakura to act as the diplomat- something Tsunade insisted she was the only one, aside from herself, she would trust to actually speak to the Suna commander on their behalf. The group would set out at noon the next day, to come across where the possibly-hostile patrol would be camping, provided they didn't change course.

As the meeting adjourned, half of those present going to prepare themselves for possible combat, Jiraiya called his apprentice up to the table, where he was joined by his friends, both old and new, including Neji, but excluding Hinata, whose father had insisted- despite his loss to Naruto in their duel- that she accompany him to help prepare the camp for an attack.

The old ninja gave a quick glance to the gathered teens before turning his attention to Naruto, "Hey, kid. We've got some time, if you want to hear the story. Tsunade-hime said she'd meet us for dinner, I can tell you then if you want. She does want to be there, but she's pretty busy, so... it's up to you. Up to you how many people get to hear it, too. We can find someplace private, if you want."

For once, Naruto didn't make a snap decision. In fact, he looked over each of his friends carefully, before making his decision.

_Neji's quiet, and a bit stuck-up, but I'd trust him with my life. Sasuke's a prick too, but better than his dad by a long shot. He did awesome in Tanzuku, so I guess... yeah, I don't care if he knows. I want Ino to know, I think. Sakura... I want her to know as bad as I want to know myself. If we ever get... well... she deserves to know._  
"I don't mind if they hear it. You guys can stop by our fire at dinner, I guess."

Most of them looked confused. Sakura, explained, "We've never known who Naruto's parents are. Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama are going to tell us tonight. It's apparently a pretty big secret."

Neji shook his head, his expression as unreadable as ever, "I'm afraid I must decline. I am required at my family's fire tonight, to finalize our plans for the Hyuuga homes. I would be interested to know your parentage at a later date, though, Uzumaki-san."

With a slight bow, the long-haired shinobi left the room.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys at dinner then," Jiraiya said, standing with a stretch, "I'll make sure Tsunade-hime's actually there on time. She won't want to miss it."

Sakura sat on his right, Shizune beside her, Ino and then Sasuke on his left, and Jiraiya and Tsunade on the opposite side of the ring of stools, rocks, and cut-up logs that surrounded the sannin's camp fire. Around them, the sounds of quiet cooking, eating, and conversation filled the air, but at this fire, the only sound was breathing and the fire's gentle crackle.

It was Tsunade who spoke first. "Naruto... you know how the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi inside you."

He nodded. It wasn't a secret to any of his friends present, either, but each of them gave him a look of concern. It wasn't often that the Fox or the Fourth Hokage could be mentioned without seeing a look of pain cross his face. Apparently, though, he was more concerned with his parenthood than any accursed seal, no matter how noble the intentions of the one who'd applied it.

"Well... most people don't know this, but about a year before the Kyuubi attacked- a little over a year into the Yondaime's time as Hokage- he was married to a woman from the vanished country of Whirlpool."

Naruto nodded, "I remember hearing about that place, but I didn't know he was married. What's this have to do with me, anyway? Was his wife friends with my mom, or something?"

Jiraiya shook his head, taking over, "Kushina- that's his wife's name- was one of Tsunade and me's best friends. It was her that insisted that we be your godparents. She was a wonderful person, and a dangerous kunoichi. Here's a picture of them, in fact, I was going to show you later, but..."

He fished inside his haori and pulled out a faded photograph.

It was obviously a family photo, though early in the family's life-span, judging by the fact that it was a man and a woman, both holding their hands to the woman's swollen belly, giant grins across their faces.  
Sakura gasped.

Naruto looked at her, she looked at him, back to Jiraiya and Tsunade, who both gave subtle nods.

"I don't get it. What's this got to do with me?"

Ino was only a moment later in gasping herself. She rummaged in her own pocket for another faded picture, and showed it to the group. It was of the old Hokage Monument, before half of the mountain had been collapsed onto the dying village.

"Yeah, the Yondaime's on the mountain. He was a Hokage," Naruto said, still confused.  
"No," Ino interrupted before he could continue, "his _face_!"

This time, Sasuke grunted, showing that he too had seen what the kunoichi had.

Naruto's eyes flicked to each of the others around the fire, before Sakura put her hand over the one of Naruto's holding the picture, and pointed at the Yondaime. "He has your face, Naruto. And here," pointing at Kushina's mouth, "your smile."

The blonde's eyes widened further than she could remember seeing them, and his jaw hung open.

"That's right, Naruto," Tsunade said, her voice trembling, "that little bundle of joy that Kushina's about to give birth to... is you. You are Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, the only son of the Yondaime."

"What are you talking about? You guys are just pulling my leg! I thought you were serious, for a minute!" Naruto suddenly stood, and the kunoichi beside him had to scrabble desperately to save the two old photographs from the fire.

"Naruto-" Jiraiya said, but he was interrupted by Naruto's scream.

"How _dare_ you! I looked up to the Yondaime! I respected him! Sure, he ruined my life in some ways, but he did it for the village! And now you tell me he cursed his own _son_? What kind of monster was he?"

Without waiting for a reply, the blonde was gone in a flurry of leaves.

"Well," Jiraiya said after a while, "he actually took that better than I expected."

The thump of a fist hitting a skull was heard for half a mile in every direction.

"I'll go talk to him," Sakura said after a few minutes, before standing up.

"I think I will too," Ino answered, following, despite the rosette's grumbling.

When the two kunoichi caught up to him, Sakura was mostly surprised at his location- he was not anywhere near the cabin, which is where, she knew, he drew his greatest comfort. Ino was more surprised at his emotional and mental state. She could read it in his body language, in his tone as he growled, "Get away from me!" and even more so, she could almost _see_ it around him. The air around the teen was practically shimmering with the force of his emotions.

"Naruto, we just want to talk to you," Sakura began, as she took a hesitant step toward him, one hand open with the palm up.  
Ino reached out to grab her arm, force her to stop, but she missed, and was immediately horrified by the result. The blonde man in front of them whirled around, crouching into a half-feral posture, and snarled.

_His eyes! They look just like those eyes I saw through the vines!_ "Saku-" she began to scream, but it was too late. Something- she wasn't sure what- had burst out from the shinobi and lashed across the other young woman's left arm, just above her elbow. _It almost... looked like air!_

But there wasn't much time for analyzing, because the shorter kunoichi was flung by that strange force straight at Ino, who was barely able to catch her, the pair of them skidding backwards for several feet. _Shit, what are we gonna do? I can't even see it moving! _"Sakura, you still with me?"

Ino hated how her voice quaked. She hated being worried. There was only a tiny feeling of relief when the other girl groaned softly. _Not that I'm worried about this ugly girl's safety, but Naruto-kun would be crushed if he hurt her..._ "'kay, we need a plan. I don't... I don't think he can hear us. Those eyes, they look like... like what I saw when I was 'walking Naruto. I think... I think that's the Kyuubi."

Despite her pain, Sakura's eyes widened in Ino's arms, and she tried to stand on her own, then fell, gasping, through Ino's arms as she clutched her bleeding arm with her other hand.

Fortunately, Ino noticed in a distracted fashion, Naruto- or whatever- wasn't actively attacking them. He seemed to be screaming to himself, even occasionally striking his own head with his hands, or worse, his claws. _And where did he get _those, _anyway?_ "Sakura- I... can you stand? I want to try something, but it'll leave me pretty vulnerable. He might come after me if it doesn't work."

Shakily, Sakura stood with a nod, pressing a now green-glowing hand to the chakra burn. "Go for it, just be careful. He... he wouldn't be happy if you got hurt, too."

Ino had to hand it to the other girl. She wasn't letting her fear show much, though it was obvious she was terribly frightened. _And I'm not? Hell, I'm scared to death! But I have to do this. Naruto needs me._

"Shintenshin no Jutsu."

Sakura blinked. _That wasn't the jutsu she used when Naruto was... what is she doing?_ But even as the rosette had the thought, she heard the blonde's body collapse behind her with an audible thump. _That probably hurt._

She distantly saw Naruto's head twitch toward the sound, but he remained where he was, clawing desperately at a large tree, as if it was the cause of his despair and rage. He did not turn toward them until an entire minute passed, when he suddenly froze, though Sakura could see his body trembling.

And then he spoke, in a voice that was not his own, and not quite Ino's, but that reminded her of both. "I think... I have him, Sakura. Come quick, use your Eisei-jutsu to put him out. Quick... I don't think I can hold it... for..."

Sakura was moving before she finished the word 'hold', and reached the apparently possessed- by more than one mind- young man just as Ino finished the word 'for'. And then a quick pulse of chakra into Naruto's cerebellum completed her part of the blonde's plan, leaving the body to drop to the forest floor, suddenly very unconscious.

Suddenly worried further, Sakura forgot the pain in her own arm, and knelt at the side of her friend- _No, he's my _boy_friend. I don't care how much crap Tsunade-shishio and Ero-sennin will give us. It's official, because I said so!_ She had more important things to worry about- like _his_ health.

A trio of progressively more advanced diagnostic jutsu later, Sakura was almost totally sure that he was now in the same state he'd been on their rush back from Tanzuku. _I guess he can wait, then. I should go check on that Pig-girl... Naruto should be all right, and I''ll need her to wake him up._ She stood and turned, expecting to see Ino still laying on the ground where she'd fallen, but jumped when she found the girl only a few feet away, walking shakily toward the pair. "Is he... all right?" Ino asked, her shoulders tense.  
When Sakura looked unsure, she was able to see the blonde's shoulders tense further. "What's... wrong?" she asked.

"I think it's the same thing as before, when you Mind-Walked him," the pinkette explained, "he's showing the same symptoms, but my scans are all coming back negative. Can you...?"

Ino sighed, clearly exhausted, and sat down beside the other girl before responding. "I can, yeah... I'd feel better if my dad were here, but he's not, so... I'm going to need a minute, though. It takes a lot of energy, so I need to catch my breath, at least."

_Girl's not as weak as I thought,_ Sakura's inner voice said, _I imagine that first jutsu wiped her out. I mean, a battle of wills against something like the Kyuubi, all for control of someone _else's_ body? How much would that take? I guess... Naruto can probably wait a little longer._ "Er, right. Well, let me know when, then. I'm going to send word back to Tsunade-sama, she'll... want to know. And she'll probably kill Jiraiya-sama for us, and save us the work."

Ino gave a weak chuckle. "I don't know why you'd want to kill him. It's not like... not like he wasn't doing his best for Naruto. Maybe he made mistakes, but... doesn't everyone? I mean..."and then trailed off, leaving the other kunoichi to wonder what Ino might have done that she wasn't able to admit to.

"Pi- Ino... will you stay away from Naruto, after this?"

The blonde jumped, surprised. "W- what? What do you mean?"

Sakura looked away, her cheeks now resembling her hair. "I... we... we're kind of, um... together, now. So..."

For a minute, Sakura contemplated having to explain further, because Ino apparently had no idea what she was talking about. But when she opened her mouth to speak again, the platinum-blonde's eyes fell, along with her entire demeanor. "Y... yeah. So, I'm really too late, huh?"

Sakura was taken aback. "T- too late? For what?"

Ino sniffed, and looked away. "I... I think I was really starting to fall for him. He was the first guy I was ever really interested in, though, so maybe I'm just being a stupid teenager. But if he's with you, I mean... you're smart, strong, talented, beautiful... I don't have a chance any more, do I?"

_W- what?_ Sakura thought, _of all people, _she_ thinks I'm... beautiful? Look at her! Or..._ "There's no reason to be catty. Just... he's my boyfriend, now, so..."

"Catty?" Ino hissed, "_Catty?_ I just surrendered to you, _Forehead!_ I'm being as adult about this as I can be! I know I don't stand a chance against you for... for Naruto! So I'm stepping aside! I won't get in your way! And that makes me _catty_?"

The shorter woman fell back on her buttocks, totally surprised by the vehemence in the other's reaction. "Y- you- I mean- no, I didn't mean-"

"You think," the blonde continued to hiss, "that just because guys flock to me, that I'm shallow and stuck-up? You think, that just because I know I'm good-looking too, makes me worthless? You _bitch_, I work my ass off, training, day in and day out, so that when I'm needed, I can _step up_. So don't you, Little-Miss-I'm-So-Lucky-I-Trained-With-Two-_Sannin_, lecture me about being _catty_!" The last word was screeched out at a volume that made Naruto, as deeply unconscious as he was, flinch and shudder, though neither of the women took notice.

"Little-Miss- _argh_!" Sakura responded, now spitting with rage herself, "At least you have your _parents_, you thoughtless bitch! I've never even _known_ mine, you idiot! And I train, too!"

Shizune, who, mostly due to her relative youth, was the first of Sakura and Naruto's surrogate family to arrive, took quick stock of the situation, and without hesitation, applied the same jutsu Sakura had used on Naruto's body on both of the girls just as the blonde took in another breath.

A few seconds later, when Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived, the brunette explained, "They were loud, and I didn't want poor Naruto to wake up with them screaming at each other again."

Tsunade smiled. "Well done, Shizune."

**AN2**: As always, thanks again for the reading and reviews (and less-so for the favs, story alerts, etc), but let me say again: Review please! I'll never hold a story hostage, but reviews tell me what, in particular, people do or don't like about my story, and ways I could improve as a writer. (At least, ideally) All of that is essential to my growth, and to making this story (and my others) even better!

Still no plans for LB2 any time soon. I'm working on the next chapters, of course, but as usual, One Hour is the big fanfic baby, so it gets the most attention.

As another note, since I forgot to mention this last chapter, there is now a map of the 'current' Konoha area on Deviantart. The link (minus the spaces, of course) is visible in my profile. It includes the Hyuuga and Uchiha's routes (the Uchiha is unmarked, but it should be obvious) as well as the route that the Kyuubi took. There are some geographical differences between the map and visual representations of Konoha- this is intentional, and likely already explained- or it will be. Thanks again!

Another note, in response to a couple of reviews I've gotten for this chapter: (From "Anne" and "Jack")  
I've got a couple of things to say about this, please read it all before you make any conclusions.

First, I had always planned on this story being a threesome, between Sakura, Ino, and Naruto. While it is _possible_ that the story won't end that way, it is likely that it will. I won't change my plot and story just because some people don't like it. I write for _my_ enjoyment, I only post for yours. That being said, I do appreciate my readers a great deal- I wouldn't respond to each and every (signed) review I get, otherwise.

Secondly, I understand many of your (you two aren't the only ones) complaints about threesomes. I really do. I personally would not enjoy being in a polyamorous relationship- I am simply too jealous a person by nature (at least, I like to think so). My own religious/spiritual views also contradict such a relationship as 'not good'. As well, I am very much against stories that treat women, men, people of varying ages, sexes, nationalities, religious preferences, social or economic backgrounds, or _any_ other type of stereotype as being 'lesser' or worthy of being degraded. And yes, I can easily see that many stories that feature threesomes or 'moresomes' are often degrading to women, especially if said stories include matters of a sexual nature. Believe me, even though I'm a straight male, I really do understand that- and agree with it.

Which brings me to my third point: I am not a writer of children's stories. I typically include acts of a sexual nature, almost always include violence (often graphic), and frequently delve into matters of the human situation and psyche far more deeply than most writers on this website (and indeed, most writers I've read, which is a considerable number). That's just my style. I treat it with what I think of as profound importance, because I want my characters to be as 'human' as anyone in the real world going through a similar situation. If my characters aren't coming _alive_ in my stories, I'm not writing well enough. If you can feel their pain, their joy, their anguish, then I need to improve. But by that same token, simply on the other side of the coin, 'real life' situations and circumstances force themselves onto the characters. What makes a story good (in most instances) is conflict. It doesn't have to be a direct physical confrontation (and rarely does that make for a good story by itself), but the mental, social, and emotional conflicts that arise from the situation in One Hour (as explained briefly by Jiraiya a couple of chapters ago) will have profound, possibly devastating, one could even say earth-shattering impacts on the people involved. I would like to think that I can do it justice in my writing. Maybe I can. If I can't, then it's simply my bad for not getting the message I wanted to across. If I can... well, maybe some people will learn something- I can always hope. At the very least, I would hope I've provided a good read.

Fourth and lastly: Given the above, I will totally understand if I lose a few readers due to my insistence that this story will most likely (and I mean about 98% chance) end with a three-way relationship. However, I would appreciate being given the chance to possibly change your minds- in my humble opinion, not all relationships between more than two members are unloving. Not all are demeaning or degrading to anyone involved- even in fanfiction. On the matter of a possible relationship directly between Ino and Sakura, I have this to say: It's likely, but not certain. I will most likely treat the two women's relationship with each other in a fashion similar to that of Hinata and Sakura in my other good-sized fic, _Late Blossoms_. (Shameless Plug: It's pretty good. Not my best writing ever, but a good read anyway). I would like to think, given that one of my sisters is a lesbian, one of my other ones is bi, and that I have several lesbian and/or bisexual friends, that I can and will treat the matter with some respect and dignity. It's not in me to deliberately harm people like that- it is in me to fight it.  
Like I told my sister when she came out to me, "I may not agree with all your decisions. I may not even understand them. But I will defend your right to make them for yourself to the death."

So, once again, if you feel the need to drop the story because of any 'unconventional' relationship, I will understand. I won't agree with it, and I will wish I'd been given that chance to teach you something (or at least entertain you) further, but I will agree that it is _your_ right to make that decision for yourself, not mine. Just as it is my right to write how I wish to.

Rant over, back to the story. (If it's up now)


	14. Chapter 14: Training Daze

**A/N:** So first, a ginormous "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" to all my faithful (you are, still, right? I hope?) readers. It was _never_ my intention to go so long between updates. However, between losing my job, being forced to relocate several towns away from my previous residence (not related to losing the job, actually, though they coincided time-wise) and looking for new work- it's been tough in this economy, nearly a year now, though things are finally starting to look up- I simply haven't had the time or right mind-set to turn out anything decent. As a result, this (much longer than average, at least- nearly 9 full pages) chapter is a bit skippy, but I'm fairly happy with how it turned out overall. It was written in several small sections when I could find both the time and focus, so that may show through- though I hope it doesn't, for all our sakes. Anyway, that's enough of my prattle for now.

Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 14 Training Daze**

When Naruto woke next, he was more than a little surprised to find that night had fallen, judging by the darkness in the room. _What room? It's not my bedroom in the cabin..._ But his musing would have to wait. _There's someone else in here. Two, maybe three people. I can hear..._ Focusing a tiny thread of chakra to his ears and nose, his senses almost doubled. _That's definitely Sakura. She smells okay, she's not stinky or anything, so I'm not in a prison. That other one might be Itachi. Could be Obito or Sasuke, too. Fugaku smells like rice though, so it's not him. And that last one... I know I've smelled it before, but I can't place it. Male. Deep breathing, probably asleep._

Deciding that there was little risk in revealing his was awake, he opened his eyes and let a little extra chakra flow into them, as well.

_Yeah, Sakura. Right by my bed- am I in the hospital? It doesn't smell like it... _ He rolled onto his back and turned his head the other way before letting his eyes roam again. _Bushy, spikey brown hair. He's got tattoos on his face, that must be Hana-chan's little brother. I heard he was coming with the next bunch of Inuzuka. There's faint smells of other people. Sasuke, maybe, and Ino-chan, and Ero-sennin, Okaa-chan, and Nee-chan. I guess... meh. I'll go back to sleep. It's still... dark... out..._

The second time he woke that day was a little more surprising than being in a strange (though apparently safe, given Sakura's relaxed position asleep next to his bed) room. He pulled the pillow off his face, only to find himself scowling directly into dark brown eyes, less than a foot from his face. "Get off me!" he yelled, instinctively pushing the Inuzuka boy away from his bed. To his surprise, the other boy stepped out of reach before he made contact, a wide grin on his face. "Wake up, kid! That hot blonde lady with the big rack said you were okay to be woken up today. It's time to go, get dressed!"

Naruto, still scowling, threw the pillow at the other boy, before growling out, "Get ready for what? What time is it, anyway?"

The other boy pulled back his right sleeve to glance at a black watch, "'bout seven fifty. Come _on_, man! We gotta go, or we'll be late! I told that hottie with the hair- the pink one- I'd have you there on time!Get up!"

Fighting back a sudden urge to disembowel the all-too-lively-for-this-time-of-day shinobi for commenting on his girl's looks, Naruto threw the blanket off his bed and got up, wincing at the pins and needles in his legs. "Ow! I must not have moved all night!"

The other boy looked suddenly confused, so Naruto shot him a pointed look. "What?"

"Just- uh... you haven't moved in two days, actually. Before that was about three weeks, since we brought you in here."

"_Nani?_"

"Uh... yeah... well, get dressed, I gotta get going, I'll see you there, it's room Two-oh-Six, eight sharp!"

And then, in a flurry of black and gray, the other boy was gone, the door slamming behind him.

_Three _weeks_? What did that bastard Kyuubi _do_ to me?_

At eight-oh-two AM, Naruto finally found the building he was looking for. Most of the delay, after his three-minute dress time, had been trying to wrap his mind around the -for him- sudden change in the area. When he'd had the attack, which he knew was related to the Kyuubi, but wasn't sure exactly why, there had been half of a solid building. Now there were nine, completely finished ones. At least, their exteriors were done.

The hospital, he recognized at once. It was the only pink building. _And it had better stay that way!_ _Not that I have anything against pink... on Sakura-chan's head. Or... elsewhere. But not on walls!_

There was an office building, it looked heavily reinforced. _Maybe the secondary command office. I know Baa-chan wants to have a Tower like the old Kages had in Konoha, but... I donno. It sounds risky to me._

And a barracks, of course, where he'd woken up. It had three wings, one apparently for single males, one for single females, and one for families. That one was nearly empty, since the Uchiha and Hyuuga were apparently staying in their own camps until their homes were built.

There were several he didn't recognize, and that led to further confusion. After checking a couple by peering into their doors or windows, he was stopped by Obito, who was kind enough to direct him to the larger, red-brick covered building. "That's the new Academy, Naruto. We want to formalize some of the training the ninja have, so a few of us older ones are going to be taking a few classes each until we get some standard skill sets going. After that, we're probably going to- but wait, you're going to be late! Go on, I think you're in room two-oh-six. Hurry! I don't have a class till one, sorry I kept you!"

And with that, the blonde was running off again, waving as he tossed a grateful "Thanks, Obito-san!" over his shoulder.

_Finally! Why'd they build the school like a freakin' maze, anyway? Isn't it supposed to be easy to get around, so people don't get lost?_ Of course, the rest of the time not taken up by finding the building had been devoted to navigating the deliberately-confusing hallways, none of which were marked with signs or directions.

But he'd found it, according to the sign on the door. Through the window, he could see a large man, taller by several inches than himself and Jiraiya, and fifty or more pounds heavier, if the width of his torso and arms were any indication. He was very solidly built, as well, given his obvious muscle definition. The man was wearing a dark coat and a bandana covering his head, though Naruto could see a scar running across the visible side of the man as well. He stood as tall as he looked, back ram-rod straight, arms folded across his chest, as his mouth worked, saying something to the class. _Good sound-dampening, I can't hear a thing._  
Naruto debated for a moment between walking in unannounced, or knocking, before deciding on the former. _What's he going to do, attack me? If he's supposed to be a ninja instructor..._

That was Naruto's first mistake of the day. The reaming he'd received from the man that Sakura later whispered was named Morino Ibiki had been truly inspiring.  
In the same sense that Tsunade threatening to crush your balls between her pinky and thumb is a great motivator.

The man hadn't been overly threatening.  
No, in fact, he'd smiled politely as he made it _very_ clear that, if Naruto- or any student in his class- was ever tardy again, they would fail. And he had gone on to clarify, "And by fail, I mean you're going to be six feet underground before you know what hit you."

Oddly enough, coming from this man with his steady, neutral tone, even Naruto didn't dare speak up. _Man, I'm glad we only have this guy once a day!_

That was Naruto's second mistake.  
Apparently, Ibiki not only took the basic Ninja Etiquette class, where the ninja- both hopefuls and already-trained- were taught the code most ninja (at least they claimed) lived by. It was all things that had been drilled into Naruto since he could talk, but under Ibiki's nose, he didn't dare show his boredom. It didn't hurt that at least Ibiki had some new stories to tell about each of the different rules- _not_ guidelines- that Ootori would be embracing, much as Konoha had. No, Ibiki also taught interrogation, and resistance training for the males. A pretty older kunoichi Naruto didn't know, though he was sure he would in future, given her indigo-colored hair and cold sneer at every male present- excluding Ibiki- had taken the girls aside into a different room during that class.

_But at least we learned something useful..._

Of course, having already gotten on the stern shinobi's bad side for his tardiness and his foolishly-expressed desire not to be in the same room as the older man for more than one lesson per day, the blonde was all-too-often the subject of 'demonstrations', or even worse, the one called on to answer the most obscure questions, some of which Naruto was sure even Sakura wouldn't have been able to answer to Ibiki's satisfaction.

But at least Obito was a decent sensei. He taught unarmed Taijutsu, and was a fairly proficient instructor, though admittedly by himself, not the strongest combatant. Naruto's view on the class itself was very mixed. While the instruction itself was good, it was all far below his own standard. He was sure that Shizune, the least combative-natured of his family, could wipe the floor with Obito if it came down to it. And since he was _obviously_ stronger than she was...  
But he wasn't rude enough to say it out loud, not after Ibiki's last class, where he'd demonstrated- on Naruto- exactly how easy it was to break a man's pain threshold wide open with a few well-placed fingers. _He didn't even _bruise_ me, but it hurt like a nut shot!_ No, Naruto wouldn't be crossing Ibiki willingly any time soon. _But at least Obito's nice, even if I knew all this stuff when I was eight. _

Said shinobi also had no desire to demoralize the remainder of the group. There were several he could consider on his level, if not actually on par, with his own skill. Sakura, of course, had also been trained by another Sannin. Sasuke, trained by Itachi, was widely considered a genius in his own right, on par with his older brother. Neji, the oldest Branch Hyuuga in the group of seven total, was probably beyond Naruto in natural talent, but only knew his family's style. The others..._ Ino-chan's not very good. I don't think she practiced Taijutsu much. That Nara kid would be okay, if he actually tried, maybe. And the Akimichi's not bad, but he's so slow 'cause of his size. If he didn't eat constantly, he could probably kick ass. Everyone else, though... Princess-chan- what was her name? Hinara? She's so timid, she won't even attack. I don't know why her dad wants her taught this stuff. I guess that Inuzuka prick- Kiba, or whatever his name is, isn't bad- he's got good strength and speed- but no finesse at all. And I don't think Obito even notices all of this. Two classes in a row, now, he's just plowed on through the basics. We need to be split up into skill levels..._

For once, the heavens were smiling on one recently-revealed Namikaze-Uzumaki.  
Or at least, several of his sensei. After having watched Ino be approached by the scary indigo-haired kunoichi, Nara Shikamaru by Ibiki, and Sakura by Shizune (who had been teaching basic anatomy- where to strike and why there- in a class of her own), at separate times during the day, only to have each led off by that instructor and not return, was a little worried when a scarred, tanned man wearing an old Konoha flak jacket approached him during the afternoon's shuriken and throwing weapon class.  
"Uzumaki Naruto?"

The man's voice was soft, kind, measured, but his eyes were anything but. _Scary. It's like he's trying to decide if he should step on me, or cook me and eat me. Or maybe buy me lunch. _"Yeah?"

"Tsuande-sama and Jiraiya-sama have asked me to have a private word with you. Would you come with me, please?"

Naruto glanced toward the instructor for this class, who happened to be Uchiha Itachi himself, who gave the pair a quick nod before returning his attention to correcting the way a sunglasses-wearing boy Naruto hadn't been introduced to held his kunai in an underhanded throwing position. _Well, if Itachi-san says it's safe, he must know what's going on._ "All right," he replied, before moving over to his target and gathering his senbon. _At least I had enough notice to know I won't be coming back today. I had to pick up Ino- and Sakura-chan's stuff for them. _

After the brown-haired, slightly older man- Naruto placed him between twenty-seven and thirty-two- had led him back into the Academy and up two flights of stairs, ushered him into a small, neat office, which already had two overflowing filing cabinets, though it all looked quite organized. "Have a seat, Naruto-san. May I call you Naruto? I don't want to offend you. I just try to keep an open relationship with students."

Naruto, a little surprised by the revelation that this unassuming man was qualified to be a sensei, nevertheless covered it well. "I don't want to be rude, sir, but I'd rather you didn't. I'm not big on formality, myself, but as I don't know who you are, I think I'll be cautious."

The sudden look of surprisingly sincere embarrassment in the other man's eyes almost caused Naruto to smile, and he probably would have, if the other hadn't immediately covered his mistake with an apology. "Oh, I'm sorry about that... I'm not used to this whole teaching thing," and as he spoke, his demeanor relaxed with every word, until he was slumped back in his chair, "My name is Umino Iruka, I just got into the camp a week or so ago. I was an instructor in Iwa... but my family is from here. They were killed during... well, when Konoha fell, so I had no where else to go. But I'm glad I was coming through the area on business, because this place will always be my home. I don't have any family in Iwa, so... no one will miss me. I'm staying. Senju-sama asked me to help head up the classes, since I was a vice-dean in Iwa, so..."

The man trailed off, perhaps confused by Naruto's lack of reaction to his mentioning that he'd been in Iwa since the attack. Only the blonde Sannin hadn't kept any sign of anger or at least annoyance from her face since he'd arrived- at least, those who cared to ask where he was from. It seemed that old hatreds died hard. But this young man didn't seem to care at all.

"What do you need from me, Umino-san?" he asked suddenly, his tone still even.

"What do I- well, you see, Naru- I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san," he corrected himself before Naruto could, "it's been brought to my attention- and several of the other instructors- that our classes are... well, that they're frankly a little boring for some of you. You, at least, have been trained by two Sannin. Your skills are probably beyond mine, or even your specialized instructors. I'm sure you've noticed that you haven't actually _learned_ anything in the last several weeks since we got the Academy running."

Naruto nodded. "What's that got to do with me, though? Are you telling me I can just stop coming?"

Now, Iruka smiled. Naruto was again surprised by the older man- he'd been fairly bland so far, but his real smile was quite genuine, if the laughter in his soft brown eyes was any indication. "No, N- sorry again- Uzumaki-san. Not quite. You see, we currently have sixty-seven hopefuls, and seven instructors, not counting myself. Since I'm basically doing all the admin work, I don't have time to teach. So, from the sensei's point of view, it's a total waste to fill our classes with students who can't learn from us. As well, even if we drop the most skilled from our classes, that leaves us sorely understaffed- we'd like to have no more than twenty students per instructor, which we meet right now, but if you add in those who are basically at or near Genin level to the hopefuls, we have close to thirty per instructor. We need more help- and that's where you and some of your peers come in."

The blonde was truly surprised, now. _They want my help _teaching_? But I can't even pay attention in class! How am I supposed to teach one? Or even be an assistant?_  
"Obviously," the man continued, apparently unaware of the other's mental state, "we don't expect you to jump right in- we could go over some teaching basics, things like that, to get you guys up to speed on the best way to do things. And you can always come ask if you have a question. But since Yamanaka Ino-san- I don't know if you know her- is, according to Mitarashi-sensei, already well-qualified in kunoichi-specific skills, and Haruno Sakura-san is a master at medical jutsu and similar skills, they will be removed from those classes, and take about half of the students as their own classes, bringing us much closer to our goal- though each would still be about thirty students at a time. For ninja like yourself, who score well in all areas, and are amazing in others, we can-"

He was interrupted by Naruto, "Wait, hold on. I don't score all that well. Sure, my Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are pretty good, but I don't know Medical Jutsu like Sakura-chan, and my academic scores on every test and assignment have been below-average in everything but geography. My Genjutsu _really_ sucks! How can you say I score well in everything?"

Iruka leaned back in his chair again, another satisfied grin on his face as he replied, "Well, for one thing, I've _been_ to a lot of those places the other instructors quiz on. Your information is both more accurate and more recent. Most of their info probably comes out of outdated textbooks that they themselves were taught with. Your knowledge of Geography and politics in particular is a little spotty, but it's also spot-on. For Genjutsu, okay, I can admit that you haven't got much talent for it. But you can almost always recognize it quickly, and bull your way through it by flooding the area in chakra. So you're all-but immune to that branch of ninja arts. At least, if you can detect it. But your Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are both, frankly, well beyond my own. I wouldn't stand a chance against you in a fight, and a lot of ninja here wouldn't, if the stories I've been hearing about your mission in Tanzuku and your match with the Hyuuga daimyo can be believed."

Naruto couldn't help but turn a little red. _I wonder what they're saying about it now. I just did what I had to do. How else was I supposed to beat an opponent that was obviously stronger and more experienced, or that outnumbered us so bad?_  
"Anyway, Naruto," Iruka continued, apparently missing that he'd referred to the younger shinobi informally again, "I wouldn't put you in a position to teach Genjutsu or Academics anyway. I want you in Taijutsu and advanced Ninjutsu."

Brought back by the older man's words, Naruto started for a moment before stammering, "T- Tai- and _advanced_ Nin-jutsu?"

Iruka nodded, leaning forward now and clasping his hands in front of his mouth to hide his wide smile. "Yes, Tai- and -Nin, probably advanced in both, if you do well in regular Taijutsu. I've seen Jiraiya-sama fight, and if he taught you half of what he knows, you're one of the strongest melee fighters in the camp. I want you to pass that on. Maybe not his unique style- the frog style, or whatever-"

"Toad," Naruto corrected absently, causing Iruka to nod.

"Toad, yes. I wouldn't expect you to teach that to everyone. As strong as the style supposedly is, it really only benefits those with _years_ of extensive training, and a certain... recklessness in attitude. No, what I want you to teach is basic Karate, maybe some Jiujitsu, and maybe some Tae Kwon Do for the larger or more advanced students. Give them enough to get by as Genin, and that'll be fine. As far as Ninjutsu goes, I've heard your library is pretty small, but all of your techniques are powerful."

Here, the teacher gave Naruto a questioning look, so the blonde shrugged. "I guess. It's not so much the power, though. I just have too much chakra to know what to do with it, so I can overload just about anything and get big results."  
"And you apparently have a talent for using your jutsu in inventive ways- and that is a skill I _really_ want to see passed on. Ninja who become set in their ways, or who only learn standard strategies and jutsu don't generally last long, because our enemies know how to fight them already. We need something new, and a desire to _keep_ coming up with new tactics, if we want to survive. So, again, we want you for Ninjutsu."

The blonde was silent for a long time, which was unfortunate for Iruka, since he developed an itch in a place it would be unseemly to scratch in anything but privacy, before he muttered, "I guess I can try it, but I probably won't be very good. I don't think I'm teacher material."

"Excellent," Iruka grinned as he stood, offering his hand to Naruto, "next week sometime- I'll let you know at least a day before- we're going to have a little contest between all the students. Kind of an exhibition... to show them why we're promoting you five."

"... Five?"

"Yes, there's you, of course, Misses Yamanaka and Haruno, and then both Uchiha Sasuke, and Inuzuka Kiba. Sasuke-san will be taking Intermediate Ninjutsu and the Genjutsu classes, and Kiba-san's taking the Tracking and Survival ones, along with his older sister. She's already Jonin-level, according to her mother, but since we haven't verified it..."

Naruto nodded absently, and was half-way out the door before he suddenly burst out, "Wait, there's a _test_? I don't want to do that!"  
"Sorry, Naruto-kun," Iruka said, still smiling innocently as he shut the door behind the blonde, "Senju-sama insisted."

Exhibition day.  
For a large portion of the Academy's student population, it was their first real chance to relax at school. The entire town- well, settlement- had turned out to watch their children and future (in some cases, current for the older students) protectors could do.

But for Ino, Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, and Naruto, the day was anything but a chance to let their collective hair down.

Those five were witnessed huddled together for nearly an hour in the not-yet-fenced yard of the Academy, discussing something animatedly, but in tones so low they didn't carry. Each also fell silent when they were approached, until their collective glares sent the interloper on their way.

As many of the general populace- both adult and student- had expected, there were several standouts. Nara Shikamaru, despite his general air of unkempt lassitude, performed admirably, though he was overheard at one point muttering to his new friend Akimichi Choji, that "failing would just mean more work for me later. It's all so... annoying."

As well, some encouragement from Naruto and Sasuke had helped the overweight shinobi turn a small, but not insignificant, portion of his excess fat into actual muscle. Emboldened by the pair's plan- which allowed him to eat as he had been, unlike any other diet he'd ever tried, but that also required him to actually _train_ with them for long periods of time, Choji had taken to the new regimen with gusto.

During what many would consider the highlight of the exhibition in later years, several of the kunoichi were asked to demonstrate- publicly- what they had been learning in their 'courtesan' classes under Mitarashi Anko. While many of the girls blushed or flat-out refused to perform under the scrutiny of the entire settlement, a certain platinum-blonde was no such wallflower.

In fact, she responded to the challenge presented by Ibiki's "Resistance Training" as taught to Naruto with gusto, so that the young woman actually had to drape herself across Naruto to get more than a passive reaction from him. For his part, the blonde young man had been staring only at Sakura, chanting under his breath, "I'm in love with Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan. She's my girlfriend. Sakura-chan."

Not one to take that lying down either, Ino then proceeded to crawl onto Naruto's lap and kiss him passionately, to gales of laughter from the crowd- and one shriek of annoyance and anger.

That was why, during the final stage of the skills showcase, Naruto walked into the outdoor taijutsu ring with a very large black eye on one side, and a palm-shaped red mark in the shape of a hand on the other. To his dying day, he would not be able to recall which girl's hand caused which mark.

_No! Pain, schmain! Focus, Naruto!_ He told himself in an effort to relax his nerves. _Who cares if you do badly? Then you won't have to teach! Just go out there, do your best, and we'll see what happens. No pain, no gain. No fuss, no muss. No... ah, what the hell am I even saying?_

The crowd fell silent as he took the floor. Most of those present had at least heard of his bout with the Hyuuga Clan's head, if not seen it firsthand. They knew some of what he was capable of. They'd all learned a bit more through the show as well, in the various exhibitions he'd been required- not asked, _required_, as Tsunade had put it- but they still hadn't seen _everything_. And nor would they, if he had anything to say about it. He wouldn't ever show them what the Fox was capable of, if he could help it. _I see enough of that in my head, I don't need to see it here- to _cause_ it here- too, thank you very much._

The crowd fell silent as he raised his head to look at his opponent. _Sasuke. Of _course_. The only one who stands a chance against me, really, so I should have known. But still... why not someone who _doesn't_ want to prove to the world he's 'better' than me?_

The Uchiha bowed stiffly, but not before showing Naruto a rather feral grin- for his normally impassive face, anyway. Fighting back the urge to scowl- or maybe laugh- Naruto returned the gesture, then bowed to Iruka, who would be refereeing.

_Hajime!_

Before Naruto was ready, Sasuke had closed half the gap. In the time it took Naruto to raise one arm to throw the other's first blow- a haymaker that Naruto knew was anything but wild- harmlessly over his head, the other boy's eyes had flashed red. _Wow, really pulling out all the stops, eh, Sasuke? Want to show your dad what you can really do? Or maybe show Big Brother? Well, buddy, I know you're good... but you aren't picking me apart that easy!_

With a resounding smack, Naruto's knee connected with Sasuke's, throwing the black-haired teen on his back a few feet away, one leg angled oddly. "Oops... sorry 'bout that, Sasuke, I thought you would have seen it coming and adjust-"

The words were cut off by a crushing blow to his windpipe, just as the real Uchiha shimmered into being beside him, one arm still extended to meet his throat. He wore a small, but inordinately pleased, grin. "Careful, Dobe. Get cocky, and you might just get killed one of these days. You know, if one of your opponents decides not to hold back."

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto grinned. "Yep. That's true. By the way... did you know you missed a lock of your hair in the Genjutsu? Otherwise, very well done."

Red eyes blazing, Sasuke brought his arm back in to check his scalp, just as Naruto's two hands thrust from the ground around the other's ankles and pulled downward, leaving the clone standing there to dissipate with another wide grin. "Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!"

When the dust had cleared, a coughing Naruto was standing over a trying-not-to-cough Sasuke. Or at least, his head, which was poking just out of the ground. The blonde was holding both hands over his head in the universal "victory" sign, visibly trying to restrain himself from dancing.

"Winner-" Iruka began to call, but he was interrupted by Jiraiya, who had been standing on the sidelines as his pupil fought.  
"Hold on. There's been a change of plans. We thought, for some of our most skilled, that simply showing them against one opponent wouldn't be very... illuminating. So we're going to have each of them go against a couple. Next up- Naruto and Sakura."

Naruto's face fell into a grimace, while the rosette walked out into the ring, tightening her gloves with a malicious grin. "Oh, Naruto... you remember back when you said you had to hold back against me?"

Turning to look at her, he gave a weak nod.

"Well.."

She bent low, grabbed Sasuke by his collar, and heaved him up out of the ground to go sailing through the air in the direction of the medical tent- which was convenient, as several loud snaps could be heard when he hit the ground. "Oops, sorry, Shishio," Sakura muttered, not bothering to look at her now-glaring sensei, "guess he won't be having more matches. Naruto was just too much for him, I suppose. Or maybe I was."

This new, ruthless side of his girlfriend was something Naruto felt he could do without. Having dealt with what some would call physical abuse- he thought of it as training, much like everything else- from the girl for years, he was used to her being aggressive. But this... this look in her eyes spoke of unimaginable cruelty. And she was still stalking _right his way_.

Much like the first match, this one was quick. Naruto tried to attack- he really did- but Sakura knew his style too well. He held back at the last second, because it looked like her guard wasn't up. So she snaked her own blow around his elbow and brought her hand back, snapping his elbow like a twig, then thrust her left palm up towards his nose, fingers in the air. In half an instant, he would be unconscious or dead.

Then she stopped, her soft palm on the tip of his nose, and whispered, "Don't hold back, Naruto. You're better than this. Now show me!"

Spurred on, he jumped back, just as Tsunade interrupted Iruka calling out "winner-" again.

"Let's _really_ make this interesting. Ino, Hyuuga Neji, Choji, Nara Shikamaru, Kiba, and... let's have Itachi come in for Sasuke. That ought to be about a fair fight for you, right Naruto? Show us what you can do!"

The suddenly confident and sure look Naruto had boasted after Sakura's name had been called had been restored for a moment from her own encouragement- but this was _ridiculous_! How was he to fight six of the best youths the town had to offer, and one full-on genius?

Then he wasn't given time to think any more.

At first, they came at him one at a time. Disciplined though they were, each (for the most part) had to get used to each other's styles, and like it or not, that took time.

It was fairly easy- even Itachi was only one man, though a gifted and dangerous one- but Naruto was nigh-immune to Genjutsu, short of the rumored "Tsukuyomi" that Itachi had reportedly unlocked.

When they started coming at him in twos and threes, the blonde really began to work up a sweat. One trick after another, from exploding shadow clones to fireballs, and even a Fuuton: Daitoppa, Naruto was forced to blow through his repetoire at an alarming rate just to keep his 'friends' from analyzing his attacks too quickly. It didn't help that Itachi could read the immediate future, Sakura and Ino knew him so well- from experience and two Mind-Walks- and that Shikamaru was a genius strategist in his own right.

In the end, it was perhaps inevitable that the last tricks in Naruto's bag would be called up- one, he swore he would rather forfeit than use. That left only one last chance...

The Toad Style.  
It was risky, the style relied on superior agility to decimate the enemy, but if the enemy knew what to expect or how to counter, it was all too easy to bring the Toad user down. He would have to drop them _fast_, but it was the only chance he had. Still, he was no master of the style- not even Jiraiya could claim that title, for all his experience- but it would have to do.

Panting, he jumped back to the edge of the ring to give himself a chance to get into position.  
He brought both arms in close to his chest- about twice as close as the standard 'guard' position- and hunched over, allowing his eyes to close.

When he opened them, his expression was calm, serene, not the face of a man in a spar against several equal-to-superior opponents.

Choji was the first to charge in, and the first to fall.  
Counting on his superior reach and striking power, the young man had elected to try a simple sumai manuever- an open-palm thrust to the chest, designed to stagger Naruto from the ring- but instead, the massive teen was thrown out himself, to come crashing down onto the lap of his equally-large mother, who grunted in pain from the impact.

No one had really seen what Naruto had done- just that it had looked vaguely like a back-flip.

Next came Kiba, who had never really learned (or so Shikamaru was fond of saying- both behind his back and to his face) 'patience'. He and his ninken companion, Akamaru, came bounding from both sides, only to be met with dual axe kicks to the top of their heads, sending both plowing face-first into the ground, only to skid out of the ring, leaving furrows in their wake.

_Uh oh_, was Naruto's only thought when he saw the calculating looks on his five remaining competitors each watching him with calculating gazes. When Itachi, Neji, Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru actually moved to the opposite side of the ring and put their heads together for a minute, beads of sweat began to form on the young man's brow. _Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!_

And then they moved, as if they had been fighting together for years, not mere minutes.

For the first time in his life, Naruto tasted the fear of actual defeat.  
Bend, twist, blur here, strike there fasterthanhecouldtrackhimself, nowayhecanblockbuthejustdid! No, try again! Kick, roundhouse, thrust, push that kunaioutofthewayfaster,faster,faster,yes! Sidekick, back kick to get Sakura-chan out of the way, inside crescent, yayIgothim,that'sShikadown, now I just have to-

But it had been a sacrificial move. As the genius fell, only half conscious or less, he nonetheless did something the blonde would never, _ever_ have expected- and less so if he had learned that it was Sakura's idea.

The lazy genius grabbed Naruto's collar and pants, and yanked down as he fell- hard.  
(Of course, he feigned unconsciousness just so he wouldn't be staring "Little Naruto" in the face as he passed, but still)

There was a collective gasp as the crowd realized exactly what had happened- a split second before Naruto himself had.

He was quick to yell, "Hey! Gimme back my clothes!" and reach down to pick up fallen pants, but it was too late for him. While Sakura, and to a lesser extent, Ino, had fallen prey to the shock as well- he was certain that Ino remembered what he looked like, but to his knowledge, Sakura had never seen his 'adult' figure. To her credit, she wasn't passing out from embarrassment, unlike a certain Hyuuga Princess. She was, however, visibly mouthing words under her breath. "Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one... Kami, that's a lot of centimeters. Twenty-two, twenty-three-"  
Ino, for her part, had a bit less of a blush- it wasn't a secret that she was a bit 'brazen'- but she still had her eyes glued to Naruto, who was growing more uncomfortable by the second- and not just because of the two girls who were obviously eyeing his 'essential shinobi gear'. There were a number of other women in the crowd doing the same thing. Some part of him distantly noted Tsunade giving an impressed, low whistle, while Jiraiya could be heard cackling with glee about winning 'a bet' with Anko.

That was the last straw. Just as he saw Sakura's nose start to bleed- right alongside Ino's- Naruto joined Hyuuga Hinata in a state of blissful unconsciousness.

**AN2**: As always, thanks again for the reading and reviews, but let me say again: Review please! I'll never hold a story hostage, but reviews tell me what, in particular, people do or don't like about my story, and ways I could improve as a writer. (At least, ideally) All of that is essential to my growth, and to making this story (and my others) even better!

I recently (yesterday or the day before) posted a chapter of Late Blossoms II: Blooming Firecracker, just in case people are looking for a good (or at least decent) Hanabi-centric fic. Yes, I'm blatantly trying to drum up readership for it. It's pretty good, if I do say so myself, but has a (truly) depressing number of reviews- or even readers. (only 7 for some chapters last month! SEVEN!)

I know she's not everyone's fav non-character, but I like writing her a lot, and I think I've given her a lot of personality- and it's not the standards of "Hates Hinata with a passion" and "Secretly loves Hinata and/or Naruto", either. She's a real person, just like all of my characters, with her own quirks and foibles- and that makes her fun to read. (Again, if I say so myself. Pardon the unseemly arrogance, it's really not intentional, I just know what I like in a story)

Still working on more chapters for my Bleach stuff too, though that's even slower going than this has been lately- I don't think I've written more than a paragraph in three months- but it IS still being worked on.

I've got more ideas for One Hour, so if this job comes through, I'll have A) less time to write, but B) more motivation and C) less stress, so I should get a lot more done in the near future. If it doesn't... well, I do still have the ideas just waiting to get put down, so we'll have to see in that case.  
Last plug of this for a while: A map of the Konoha/Otoori area, in the current (fanfic) timeline posted on Deviantart. The name's Infinitedragon, same as here, and it's currently the only thing up so it should be easy to find.

**Glossary**:

**Fuuton: Daitoppa**: This is the "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" we've seen many times in canon, both manga and anime. It's a very common technique, but like with many others, Naruto can overcharge it to great effect- and it's a fairly powerful tech as Wind goes, anyway, for not cutting.

**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu **: Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. This is another we've seen a few times, the first time was Kakashi using it against Sasuke during the bell test. It's the one where Sasuke's head is sticking out of the ground and Kakashi is making fun of him. You should all know it by now, by effect if not by name.

I don't think there's any more, but if someone else notes something that should be in the Glossary and isn't, please let me know (by PM if possible, so I don't get my review list cluttered with them, but I'll take that if you're lazy. I just like to only see my actual 'reviews' in the review listing. :D). Thanks!

And finally, once again, Sorry for taking so long! I didn't abandon you, I promise! And please review to show me you haven't left me forever!

* pretends to be attention starved *

Till next time, kiddies!


	15. Chapter 15: Birth of a Phoenix

**A/N:** Something new and differnt- NO SORRY! I'm actually updating (more or less) on time, when I wanted to! This chapter's not as long as the last- pretty average in length for me at about 5 pages- but it moves the story along to where I need it to be for the next chapter, which should be a doozy (though that may still be two chapters away, depending on how much detail I go into the next part of the story).  
Forgive me if this chapter seems a little slow, there's no romance or action or anything- but there is humor and drama. Plus, this is really all a necessary part of the story.

Enjoy the latest chapter of One Hour!

**Chap. 15 Birth of the Phoenix**

The next several months passed quietly for Naruto. Relatively, of course. While there were no major incidents between their proto-village and it's neighbors, the young shinobi's personal life was anything but quiet.

_And there's lots of reasons for that,_ the young man thought bitterly as he stalked his way down the still-unpaved street between the Academy and the dorms, where he was still being forced to room with Kiba and Sasuke, in what had quickly been dubbed by the other residents as 'the loud room'. Never one to keep his opinions- or his volume- quiet, the Inuzuka had gotten Naruto talking in ever-louder volumes just to make himself heard, a habit that both Sakura and her master were quick to pick up on and deride. Worse, though, was Sasuke. The quiet boy had rarely spoken to anyone aside from Itachi before their mission to Tanzuku and the other towns in the southwest, but he had slowly started opening up. Being around Kiba, however, seemed to have sped that process up exponentially. While Sasuke, having been raised essentially with only his brother for company, would always be a shy person. But he was becoming increasingly vocal about his thoughts and opinions. That fact was driven home when Naruto walked, exhausted, into their dorm room one night to find the two yelling at each other over which girl was 'most datable'. Both had been quick to ask Naruto for _his_ opinion, since he had actually _had_ a girlfriend.  
_Yeah, like I'd be dumb enough to say anything when word could- and would, with Kiba's mouth- get back to Sakura-chan! Right!_  
So Naruto had begged off, saying he didn't pay attention to other girls besides Sakura any more.  
Sasuke had given him a look that said, quite clearly, "I know you check out the Yamanaka every chance you get," but had said nothing else, though Kiba had continued to rant on the subject for another ten minutes.

But that was only one of the reasons why Naruto's personal life was hardly quiet.

_Yamanaka Ino_._ Kami, she's beautiful, and smart, and talented, and I know she likes me, but... ugh! I wish she'd just go away so she wouldn't make Sakura so mad all the time!_

Sakura, already an inherently jealous person, did not take kindly to Ino's presence around her boyfriend- which was not improved by the fact that Ino and Naruto taught more shared classes than she and her boyfriend did. Medicine was such a specific art that it simply wasn't feasible to teach aspects of it during, say, a sparring class. However, there was a lot of overlap between 'feminine wiles' as Tsunade had put it once, and defeating your opponent. So Ino helped Naruto's students to know what to do if they were male and attacked by a female, or how to take down said female on an operation, while Naruto would focus on teaching the females techniques he hoped they 'would never have to use' to protect themselves from other men. Usually, he left those classes wincing in pain and clutching himself in strange places. More often than not, he avoided females- even Sakura- for days afterward due to the images it brought forth from his poor brain.

Despite all of this, though, Sakura couldn't really direct her anger at Ino. The blonde had, as far as she'd been able to detect (and she _had_ been taught by a Sannin), not made any kind of advance- or even 'googley-eyes' at Naruto since she'd sworn to stay out of Sakura's way.  
And she really had meant it when she told Naruto it was okay to look, as long as that's all it was... and maybe she'd feel better if they actually had time to do 'more' one of these days. But they were just so busy!

The last problem was still related tangentially to his pink-haired beauty of a girlfriend. The _other_ girls of marrying age in the foundling village were not so restrained. He found girls following him, tripping over themselves to talk to him, and hissing venomous words to each other when he told them, as kindly as possible, that he was already in love with someone else, and that he was flattered, but no thanks. And he'd keep them in mind, if they were still single and he broke up, but...

That only slowed the tide a little bit, it seemed.  
Even Hyuuga Hizashi (who Naruto had thought was his twin brother before he introduced himself) had stopped by his dorm room (with Kiba and Sasuke both present) to let him know that, despite their earlier 'issues', Hiashi was actually considering Naruto as a possible spouse for his older daughter.

Fortunately for Naruto, his room mates withheld their gales of laughter until the thinly-smiling older man had left.  
But Naruto still hadn't spoken to either of them for days after that incident.

This day, though, was strangely quiet as Naruto rose from his bed. _Ah, a day off... no training at the Academy, no rebuilding, nothing to do but relax..._

Until the peace was shattered by Kiba's boisterous yell, "C'mon, sleepy-head! You gotta get up, or your girlfriend's gonna neuter me! I told her I'd have you at the ceremony an hour early, remember?"

"Ugh..." was Naruto's only response, until it fully sank in.

_I promised her she could neuter me if I didn't show up early, to- Oh SHIT! I gotta get up!_

Naruto was in the shower, still half-dressed in his pajamas and without his clothes, when Sasuke's sleepy voice came from the other side of the room, "Kiba... when are you going to tell him the ceremony's not still for another four hours?"  
The shaggy boy sniffed, grinning widely, and replied, "Oh, about when he walks out the front door and notices it's still dark out."

Kiba drifted back to sleep (at 'almost' five AM) to the sound of Sasuke's quiet chuckles.

The entire population of the village- both those who had arrived with the Uchiha camp and Hyuuga caravan, and those who had come after, were gathered at the large open space- which had been designated as a park and was even starting to look like one, now that grass had sprouted in spots- with several of the recognized (official or not) leaders of the village on a hastily- but well-constructed stage so that everyone could see them in the middle.

Naruto and Sakura, flanked by Sasuke, Kiba, Itachi, Ino, Choji, and even Shikamaru, who had returned from spending the winter with his family, were near the front of the crowd to hear what the big announcement they'd been promised would be.  
However, fifteen minutes after the scheduled time of the announcement before the ceremony to announce Konoha's rebirth, the elders were still whispering furiously to each other, huddled together to prevent the ninjas in the crowd from lip-reading.  
Just as Naruto opened his mouth to question- for the third time- what was going on, Jiraiya stepped back from the huddle and moved to the front of the stage. He looked out over the crowd, and stopped with a smile when he saw Naruto and his friends, before raising his eyes back to the mass of humanity and beginning in a strong voice, while most of the elders behind him scowled.  
"Konoha, and it's host nation of Hi no Kuni were once the strongest Hidden Village and Nation in the world."

There were muted cheers. For many, that statement only reminded them of Konoha's fall.  
"However, Konoha is dead. My pupil is right. It won't be coming back."

The cheers, what few there had been, fell silent. Many were already aware of that, Naruto had never hidden that he wanted to found a new village, and had even chosen the name "Village Hidden by the Phoenix" to represent the element of fire while still showing that they could come back stronger than they were before. But there had also been many murmurs against that name, because it was 'weird', or 'awkward'. Or that it didn't fit the theme like the other Hidden Villages did.  
There was no Phoenix to hide behind, like their old village had been secluded in the vast forests of Hi. There was no desert like in Suna, or a waterfall grotto to build a town in. But Jiraiya had, he thought, found a solution.

"I know a lot of you don't like Ootorigakure as a name. Well... hear me out before you make up your minds. Can you do that?" the old sage asked, grinning at them like they were school-children. When he didn't get much of a response, he continued, "Konoha's strength had never been with it's defenses, or it's terrain, though the forest confounded many and the wall held off all but forces of nature."

There were now murmurs of anger and fear. No one liked to be reminded of the night the wall fell.

"No, Konoha's strength was always it's people. In the Will of Fire. In the spirit of it's inhabitants. And _there_, my friends, is where you will find the Phoenix Naruto spoke of."

In the audience, Naruto grinned, Sakura right beside him._ At least the old man got it, finally._  
"Growing up in Konoha, we were taught that it was our _privilege_, not our duty, to fight for our home and families, our friends. That the act of killing, of dying to protect those precious to us is something I hope each of you have been taught is a most precious thing.  
"When I was a lot younger, I knew a man- oh, he wasn't old then, though he lived to be pretty old, but I was just a boy then, so everyone seemed old. This man, he had risen to become a leader of men by the time he was fifteen. I asked him, once, what made him so special. Because, like any kid, I thought I could do a better job than the one teaching me."

Naruto grinned. He'd heard this story before. It had actually been the inspiration for Ootori, if indirectly. He doubted Sakura, or even Tsunade, had before, though. It wasn't something the old man talked about lightly- it brought back too many memories, that, while good, were hard to bear.  
"This man's reply was simple. 'I was taught by two great men, that if I was to lead, then I would have several responsibilities. I would have to find those better than me at any task, and give it to them to do. Delegation is key in leadership. A leader cannot do everything himself. A leader of men cannot _afford_ to try that, or everyone around him will die. He just has to trust to his subordinates to do their jobs, as they trust him to lead them. The other great lesson was that that leader must be aware that his men will die. Even the simplest of missions can take a life. Forever afterward, that life will be on the leader's conscience. It will burden him until his own death. A Village leader must be able to bear the burden of his entire village's deaths- even if it's only potentially.  
"Anyway, my point is," the white-haired man continued, "it's those people who are willing to die or kill or steal or do almost anything to protect those that need protecting. Their spirits, the fire in their souls, is unquenchable. It is _that_ fire that always comes back, that always bursts into life again, that represents the Phoenix. So when Naruto and I say 'Ootorigakure', we mean 'The Village Hidden by it's People'. You, all of you, whether you're a civilian or a ninja, are the ones that hide and protect our village. Would any of you be able to walk away while a child was about to die? If a bear wandered into camp right now and attacked a stranger's baby, would _any_ of you stand aside? No, I don't think so. I think you would rise up, find strength you didn't know you had, and save that child. That is the act of a Phoenix. A Phoenix is a guardian, a guardian so powerful that they were chosen to guard the very gates of heaven. I think they're a worthy goal and name for us. If anything, it's us who are not worthy of them."

Jiraiya stepped back to join the elders, none of whom were scowling now, while the crowd around the young ninjas began to speak amongst themselves.  
Several minutes later, Tsunade stepped forward. "All right, listen up. You've had a chance to think it over, so here's the deal. You know we're officially founding the village in about half an hour. But to do that, we need a name. _Most_ of the elders," here she shot a glance at Fugaku and Hiashi, "feel that Ootori is just fine. So we decided to hear what you all think. Give me a raise of hands- don't be shy. Raise your hand if you think Ootorigakure should be the name for our new village."

Sakura looked over after shooting her hand into the air to see her boyfriend's eyes closed. "N- Naruto?"

He shook his head a little, grinning, "'s nothing. I just got to thinking about it. I mean, I like Ootori and all, but I never thought that much into it when I said it that first time. Ero-sennin must really like it, too."

"I heard that, gaki!" the old man said loudly from the stage, forcing Tsunade to hold him back until he calmed down.

No one bothered to count. While several people still didn't like the name, there was no way it was a majority after Jiraiya's speech.

After the non-count, Tsunade stepped forward again, "Ootorigakure it is, then. We have a couple more things to take care of before the ceremony, so let's get right into it. I'll make things brief: Konoha, while it was lead by the Hokage, had much of it's daily routine run by council. Running a village is a lot of work for any one person, so I think that's a good idea. However, I also feel- and Jiraiya and most of the rest of the elders agree- (there was no glance this time) that it was too large to be an effective body. There was too much debate, too many minor differences in view and opinion to make things _happen_. So here's our proposal: You have been, essentially, led by council for the last half-year or more. Jiraiya, myself, Hyuugas Hiashi and Hizashi, the Uchihas Fugaku, Obito, Inuzuka Tsume, and more recently, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akamichi Choza, and Morino Ibiki. What I propose is that these members join the council at the village's founding as permanent, official members. I also would like five more experience ninja- and _only_ ninja- to be recommended for the position."

A man a ways behind Naruto raised his hand and asked, "Why only ninja? There's a lot of civilians here, don't we get a say?"

Tsunade smiled in such a way that suggested to Naruto that the man was a plant. "Yes. You do get a voice. You just don't get a _vote_. Half of the reason behind Konoha's issues with it's council was the fact that it was split between civilians and ninja. The two just never seemed to see eye to eye, so nothing got done. The way I look at this is simple. The ninja protect the civilians. It's our _job_ to keep you safe so you can live happy, peaceful lives. We can't _do_ that if civilians make policy for us. We can only do that if other ninja, the ones who actually understand the issues and problems, make policy."

"But if that's true," said a woman far to Naruto's left, "then you ninja aren't qualified to make policy for us civilians, either!"  
Fugaku spoke for the first time after placing a hand on Tsunade's shoulder to let her know he'd take this one. Naruto didn't miss her eyebrow twitching, but she stepped back gracefully. "That is true, we don't. Well, the Hyuuga may," he gave a slight smirk in his usual political opponent's direction, "but most of us simply don't deal with commerce, trade, taxes, zoning, and so forth. That is why you will have a voice. The fifteen council members will be the ones who decide which policy to implement- of the choices that you, the people, present to us. Our plan is to have a council of fifteen members. It may grow as our population grows, but I don't think it likely. Each councilor will have a team of advisors who draft necessary policy and legislation for him to bring to council. Those advisers may be civilian or ninja, in whatever makeup the councilor wants. But the final say will always, it _must_ be made by ninja, for the security of this village."

"Thank you, Uchiha-san, for those enlightening words," Hiashi said, stepping forward slightly ahead of the other man, who stepped back with slightly less aplomb than Tsunade had, "It's time. The details will be worked out in council in the near future, but the ceremony marking the founding of our new home is swiftly coming closer. Is our plan for the ruling council adequate to your wants and needs?"

This time, he actually seemed to be counting, because his Byakugan activated. There was just enough difference between the whitish pupil and his almost-beige irises for Naruto to see his eyes blurring around the crowd. _That'd sure be a sweet Bloodline._

"The proposal passes, then, by a majority of seventy-nine percent."  
Jiraiya stepped forward again, "One last quick matter before the ceremony. Our leader will not be recognized as a Kage, not by the other nations. We are still too small. Even though we've been blessed with peace and time to build our strength, we are not even as strong as Hoshi or Taki. But _we_ know what we are. Our leader will be a Kage, as it was meant to be. But _what_ Kage? Ootorikage's pretty good, but it doesn't have quite the same ring as 'gakure."

And then the world shifted. Day became night. The sun winked out, replaced by countless glimmering stars. Distantly, Naruto felt a rush of chakra. _Genjutsu. An attack?_  
But before he could flush the entire chakra creation away from the area, Tsunade's voice stilled the growing whispers, "Sorry, sorry- my fellow councilors," she nudged Jiraiya with an elbow, sending him crashing into his seat, "have bad timing. This is just part of the ceremony, nobody panic. I'll let you know if you _do_ need to."

The crowd fell quiet, only the occasional whisper breaking the stillness of the artificial night.

There was a growing lightness to the east, but being slightly taller than most of the crowd, Naruto could see that it wasn't the illusion of dawn. It was far too close, for one thing.

_It's a fire... looks like it's right in the saddle of the mountain, where the Kyuubi brought down the Hokage Monument on the Tower._

And then the flames lifted into the sky, and the inferno of scarlet, crimson, orange and gold spread it's wings with a mighty scream.

A Phoenix, bathed in flames, hung suspended in the air, wingtips brushing against the twin peaks of the great mountain. It flew, motionless but for the flicker of flames, for a full minute, before it dove toward them.

Some screamed, some panicked, some threw themselves to the ground.  
But most of the ninja knew it was just an illusion. Naruto stood through it all, let the Phoenix pass through him as it swept over the crowd with a laugh.  
He was still laughing when the night faded and day returned. "The Phoenix really was born today. That was great! I wish I'd thought of it!"  
Up on the stage, Tsunade and Jiraiya shared a knowing grin, before simultaneously saying, "Yep, we still got it."

**A/N2: **Not much to say here, except please continue to review, review, review! I got quite a few for the last chapter, and it's (honestly) largely because of those that I worked so hard to get this one out on time. I've been wrestling with severe illness the last couple of weeks (flu, strep, bronchitis, and then pneumonia all in a row), but because I knew you were waiting, I got my ass out of bed anyway to write this for you. :) Reviewing lets me know you appreciate it. Lol  
(And who doesn't like to be appreciated?)

My 'planned' updated next time should be for LB:2, not OH, but we'll see. I really want to get a chapter posted for one of my Bleach stories too, I just have a hard time focusing on that one recently. No idea why. /shrug

**Glossary**:

**Ootorigakure:** Yes, that's the name of the new village. I've explained why (in less detail than in the story) to everyone that asked (in PM or review) about it (and by the way, thanks for giving me fuel- most of those objections/questions were paraphrased from the ones I received about it), and I'm sticking with it. Jiraiya's whole speech about it was planned from back when I first thought of the name, so believe me, I'm not doing this on a whim or because I personally like phoenixes a _lot_ (which I do).

**(Ootori)kage:** Honestly, I'm really up in the air about this one. It does have a certain ring to it (despite Jiraiya's opinion- which is not mine), but I could also see going with Hokage (both for tradition, and to show their link to Konoha and Hi no Kuni). Maybe even something entirely different. Any thoughts on the matter? Feel free to send me a PM or a review about it. I won't open a poll- I just want your thoughts, not to see what percentage of readers want what. :) Hmm... "Phoenix's Shadow"... I wonder how that would translate. Oh. It's Ootorikage, according to [Nihongodict(dot)com] (That's my translator, and it's a good one, if you want one yourselves.

Also, thanks to "O-o" for letting me know (in review) about the dictionary not showing up before. Forgot about the -not-allowing-hyperlinks-thing. :)

Don't believe there are other glossary entries I need.

Till next time, faithful (and new) readers!


	16. Chapter 16: Leaving the Nest

**A/N:** Something not-new and not-really-different- So sorry! I've just been focused on writing-for-profit, which has really drained my ability/will to write for not-profit. On the upside, I'm getting a lot closer to being able to publish my first novel, so... go me!  
On the other... updates may well be sporadic and less-long for a while. But fear not, I will _not_ abandon a story, it just takes time sometimes.  
With the chapter, we're finally seeing the real plot start to kick in- but it might be hard to recognize just yet. Soon enough. :)

**Chap. 16 Leaving the Nest**

"All right, you four, here's your first official Ootori mission."

Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto had been summoned to the modified bunker that Itachi and his younger brother had used as a home during the almost-eighteen years since Konoha's fall, where Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune had together been acting as "Hokage", until such time as the committee could decide who would actually have final say in all things in the village.  
So far, Naruto had been pleased to note, the group of senior ninja had been performing quite well. There had been no major disputes, the largest had been where to set up their temporary command center until a permanent facility could be built, and the second had been deciding what to call their leader, when such a person was elected. That debate was, in fact, still going on, although most of the council seemed to be leaning toward Hokage, because it gave them a solid connection to their shared past, as well as Hi no Kuni (which they were not planning on renaming Ootori no Kuni at any point), while still maintaining their link to the "Will of Fire". Not to mention, most people were just _used_ to referring to their village leader- even a deceased one- as "Hokage".  
And since their leadership was, for the most part, functional, that meant missions.  
"All _right_!" Naruto cried, pumping a fist into the air, "I haven't had anything but construction duty since Tanzuku! I was starting to think you were scared I'd lose it, Okaa-san!"

Tsunade's happy smile hardened, but didn't fade. "Scared you'd lose it? No, I trust you to keep your tenant under control, or I'd have you in a chakra-resistant cell."

Hearing that curbed Naruto's enthusiasm, much to the amusement of his teammates, who gave a collective snort.  
"Kaa-chan..."

"Quiet, Naruto," Tsunade interrupted, taking the folder from Shizune's waiting hands and holding it out across the desk, "the short version is this: We need a group of ninja, preferably a younger group, to go up to Kumogakure and see what they think about all of this. Just because we haven't heard word or been attacked by now doesn't mean they aren't planning something, or at least know we're here. It's been six months. By now, _everyone_ knows we're here."

Sakura, seeing that Naruto had no intention of taking the sealed folder from their mother figure, reached out to take it for him, but didn't open it. "Shishio, I don't understand. If they know we're here, why _haven't_ they done anything? Every nation with a standing force attacked us shortly after the Kyuubi was sealed, right? If we're vulnerable now, why haven't they done anything?"

But it was Jiraiya who answered, "We think it's because they don't know what to make of it all. Either they think we aren't a threat- and they're right there, for now at least- or that no one is really satisfied with the current status quo, and we're a black horse that got thrown into the race. No one knows who we're going to side with, or who we're going to side against. A minor village we might be, but the balance of power is so small right now... a dozen ninja more or less could change the balance between, say, Kusa and Ame- and lead to war as the stronger decides they want just a few more miles of their enemy's country. Thirty would change the balance between a larger country, and that would cause even worse problems, because then the smaller nations would be caught in the middle- or just annexed entirely. Not that any of the _other_ nations would stand for that."

The four teens nodded. Naruto had already been thinking the same thing, mostly because of his ten years with Jiraiya, where he'd already learned how the older man thought. "So you're sending teams to every nation, right? To see what they all think?"

"No," came Shizune's reply, but she sounded as confused by that as Naruto.  
"N- nani? We aren't?"

Tsunade grinned and folded her hands over the desk, "Nope. Kumo, Suna, Nami, and Kusa. That's it."

"But- why?" Ino asked, not getting the reasoning any more than the others.

"'cause we said so, that's why," Tsunade replied, but was interrupted by Jiraiya.  
"Hey, 'hime, calm down. It was just a question. They don't _need_ to know, maybe, but the knowledge might help their mission. Don't be so tight-lipped. Look, it's like this," he continued, turning back to the teens, "We already _have_ two teams each in Iwa and Oto. But they're just scouts and spies- even though it's safe to assume each of those teams has been compromised, so we can't trust any of their info. Your mission- the missions to all of those four countries- are not the same as the ones to our _known_ enemies."

"Known?" Naruto interrupted, "So you've decided not to trust Orochimaru, then?"

Jiraiya nodded, "If there's one thing the council agrees on, it's that. We're listening, we're talking, but we aren't trusting- and we think he knows it. Whatever he's _really_ after, it isn't our trust anyway. So... Your missions are to scout and reconnoiter, yes. But there's a few things different than most of you were taught- we don't care if you get spotted. 'least, not much."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he spoke for the first time since greeting his friends, "How are we supposed to report if they capture us?"

Jiraiya's response was so quick, the Uchiha suspected he'd been waiting for just that question, "Naruto's got a way- as long as he's not in chakra binders. And even then, he can probably power through because of his tenant. Look, just- don't _try_ to get caught. But if you _are_ spotted, don't make a big fuss about it. They'll bring you to Kumo and ask you questions- probably under mild interrogation, that each of you should be able to handle- before they do anything nasty. They want to know what _we're_ up to as bad as we do them. So give them what they want. Make yourselves useful- just not _too_ useful. Tell them we're survivors of Konoha, but that we haven't re-founded Konoha. Tell them we're in the same place, roughly how many ninja and civilians we have, things like that- things they'd know anyway, by now, but enough useful info to get them to trust you."

The teens nodded as they began to understand.

"On your way up north, your squad leader will have to decide- with your collective input, I hope- whether you want to appear as Ootori deserters fleeing to Kumo for safety reasons, or rogue ninja from the area who decided not to join, or whether you want to say you're still 'with' Ootori, but acting as emissaries. If you do that and they ask why you were spying, just say you were gathering intel before deciding on your exact plans- should be believable, since that's what you _are_ doing- just in a broader sense. And that's what they'd be expecting you to say and do, anyway."

Naruto nodded just after the others.  
"Right," Tsunade picked back up, "I expect you back in six to eight weeks. Longer than ten, and we're going to send out a rescue team- but only one. After that, we can't spare any more resources for four genin-to-chunin, no matter how talented or important any of you are, okay? Try _really_ hard to escape if you get imprisoned, though. Kumo's been known to be very _creative_ in their interrogation techniques. Not to mention, two of you have bloodlines the Raikage would _love_ to get his hands on. And if he knew who you were, Naruto, he'd want you just as bad, so keep your lineage to yourself, okay? If they ask, just tell them your family a generation or two back was from one of the islands in Mizu- there's quite a few blondes down there. Supposedly that's where my mother was from."

A few minutes later, the details of the mission had been completely explained to the four teens, except for one thing that had been bothering Naruto since he'd calmed down about actually having a mission. "Ano... Ero-to-san, Kaa-san- who's squad leader?"

Both of his parental figures' grins turned decidedly evil, but it was Shizune who answered, her own voice concerned, "Oh, I thought we covered that- you are, Naruto."

"N- Nani?"  
But it wasn't just Naruto's voice, no- it was that of every one of the four teens.

Sakura's thoughts on the matter were simple, _I hope he doesn't stress over this- he's good under pressure, but long-term stress really makes him crazy. Maybe I or Sasuke should be in charge... even Ino-bunta can probably handle it, with her psych training. But Naruto..._ _I love the baka, but..._

Sasuke's were similar, if a little less devoted, _That dobe... just because he's good in a fight doesn't make him a leader! I'm the one who should have this mission, I'm the one who's got to unite the remnants of Konoha to fulfill the prophecy. Damn it. But... there's other missions, I guess. I'll have to request one without him when we get back._

Ino's, however, were a little simpler. _I get to see Naruto-kun in charge! Wheee!_

A couple of days later, the group was more-or-less assembled outside the Academy, since Naruto in particular had been drilling his students hard up until the last minute. He had even come to give them some last-second instruction before they were due to leave, so the others, who had been ready at least an hour earlier, had to go find him at the Academy rather than the cabin, which had been their designated meeting point. This, of course, led to the group leaving nearly three hours late, a fact that Sasuke refused to let Naruto forget for three solid days of the squad moving through the forest as only a ninja could.

However, it was that same frustration on the part of Sasuke- that not even the highly-intuitive Ino could discern the exact cause for- that also led to their first trouble.

Rather than moving quietly and hiding his presence when he went to gather firewood at Naruto's suggestion, the raven-crested (because he _refused_ to answer to duck-butt) shinobi stalked off into the forest and started dismantling a dead but still standing tree with his bare fists.

Normally, Naruto would have just let that go. It was obvious even to him that the other shinobi needed to vent. But they were in unknown territory, possible hostile territory, if Sakura was reading their newly-made maps correctly, and he would rather the noise be kept to a minimum.

So Ino and Sakura watched him roll his eyes, scowl, give a lopsided grin, and then stand from the beginnings of their cook fire. He brushed off his pants, put his hands in his pockets, and casually walked into the forest, calling, "I gotta take a leak. I'll be right back."  
Ino and Sakura looked at each other, both mouthing the words, "Or talk to Sasuke."

The two shared a grin. It was the most amicable the two had been with each other since Ino told Sakura she'd back off.  
If she were honest with herself, the rosette was actually surprised that the blonde had kept her word.

"Hey, Ino..."

"What is it, Forehead?" the blonde responded, not looking up for her half-open bedroll.  
Sakura grimaced. _Is it too much to ask not to call me names when I actually used your proper one... for once? _"About Naruto... thanks."

That made the other girl look up, eyebrows raised. "Thanks? For what?"  
"For being there for him when he needed help, for being a good friend to him, for keeping it _just_ friends, for... well, that, mostly."

Ino smirked. "What makes you think I'm trying to stay 'just friends'?"

Sakura's grin faltered, but came back stronger, "'cause you aren't a liar, and you aren't a cheat. You flirt, but it's not serious- and I haven't seen you flirt with Naruto since that day. You even flirt with _Sasuke_, but not Naruto. So... thanks."

"Yeah, he is kind of a stick-in-the-mud, isn't he?" Ino replied, a finger on her chin, "He's cute- gorgeous, really- but too much like Big Brother. That Itachi gives me the creeps, all emotionless like that."

Sakura smiled. She'd had the same issue with him when they'd first met. "Yeah, he's a bit odd. Loyal though, and really strong."  
"If you say so," Ino said, resuming unrolling her bedding, "still gives me the creeps. But that Nara guy. Shikukimaru or whatever his name is... he's cute, when he's not being lazy."

Sakura laughed out loud, "Not being lazy? When have you seen Shikamaru not being lazy?"

Ino's eyes rolled as she looked back over her shoulder at the other girl, "I haven't. I just saw him concentrating and extrapolated."

"Ext- you really _are_ smarter than you look, Pig!"

Ino grinned.

"No, really, I'm impressed. Naruto wouldn't know what extrapolated meant if you beat him to death with the dictionary opened to that page!"

Now both girls laughed, which was unfortunate. If they hadn't been, they might have heard the unmistakable sounds of trouble from the direction of the two male members of their squad.  
"Seriously, though," Sakura continued after a minute, "you're really into Shikamaru?"

Ino half-scowled, half-giggled. "No, I just think he's cute. I don't like guys who're smarter than me. A _girl_ who's as smart, that's a turn-on."

Sakura giggled when the blonde turned away blushing furiously, so she didn't hear the other cursing herself under her breath. In fact, Sakura thought nothing of it at the time, other than to distantly register that Ino might just be bisexual, because at that moment, a kunai buried itself in the sole of Sakura's sandal, pinning her to the ground. If she hadn't moved in time, the blade, which missed by a hair's breadth at best, would have impaled her to the ground by the foot, instead- an altogether more difficult thing to fix.  
"Incoming!" she heard Naruto yell, belatedly.

Ino looked up, confused, until Sakura returned, trying to yank out the kunai, "Already here, baka! Where's Sasuke?"

**A/N2: **As always, guys, don't forget to review if you liked it! Don't forget to review if you didn't, either- I can't get better without your input (too). Also, thanks to those who reviewed/favorited/etc last chapter, it was even more than the previous in total, which means tons. Sorry this one was kind of short, but I didn't want to get into a big battle scene and have to write a whole two chapters at once- I just have too much to do otherwise (writing novels is a bit harder than fanfic- it has to be better, which means more time spent, etc), not to mention I'm still trying to get a job. 1+ years with no employment sucks.

Till next time, folks!


	17. Chapter 17: In Hot Water

**A/N:** So, as is swiftly becoming more and more unusual- no extra-long wait! It hasn't been (quite) two months since my last update- Oct 5- and you get a new one. On the downside...

Turns out that debilitating injuries are just that- debilitating. I've also been trying to get things squared away to that I can get back to college, but that hasn't turned out well despite all my effort, so we'll see. On the upside, I posted another chapter for my Bleach collection of shorts a few days ago, and finished this chapter today, so... yay, I'm writing again! I had 'thought' I had this chapter done a couple days ago as well, but when I went to post it, I realized I'd already posted 16... I had originally written this chapter as part of that one, not realizing I'd made an update for November. (For those reading this, if any, years down the road, it's 11/22/10) So... I had to go back and edit, then write a few more pages and change my title a bit to make it all fit. Ah well. :)

Enjoy, and as always, R&R please!

**Chap. 17 In Hot Water**

Naruto's response came from right behind her, causing Sakura to jump and whirl around, kunai on it's way to embedding itself in the stomach of her oldest friend, before she stopped herself. "He's gone- They grabbed him and left us alone. I think there's two more here, but there were six on us, and they took us completely by surprise. You two okay?"

Ino nodded when he looked in her direction, but said nothing, her blue eyes constantly scanning the trees and undergrowth around them, but apparently seeing nothing.

"Fine, though I almost lost a foot. How do you know there're two? We only saw one kunai, not-"

"I can smell 'em."

Sakura's eyes widened. She'd known for years that he could smell things she couldn't, but didn't know he was so sensitive.  
Ino just glanced over, absorbing this new fact and taking it in stride. Sakura understood completely- for now, they'd have to trust him. There simply wasn't time for anything else.  
"There's a man and a woman, the woman's young- maybe twelve or so, but she's pretty quick. Mid-Genin to low Chunin, she's the one that actually took Sasuke down, knocked him out while he was busy with the others. I saw her hit him, make a signal to the rest, and then head this way, that's when I called incoming. The other was here before, probably threw the knife. Haven't seen him, but he smells like a guy."

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Okay, so two unknown ninja, both relatively skilled- can you pinpoint them?"

He shrugged. "Maybe if we wait long enough. I'm not a dog. Okaa-san said that even though I can pick up the signals like a dog would, my brain isn't wired to receive them in the same way, so it takes longer to make sense of what I'm smelling, unless it's familiar."

She paused, almost shaken out of combat-mode by a sudden realization. "You- that's how you always know I'm around- you smell me!"  
He grinned, then jerked his eyes up suddenly, not moving his head a whit otherwise. Sakura blinked twice, moved her eyes to Ino, who was watching, and repeated Naruto's gesture.

A moment later, three kunai whirred into the trees directly over Sakura, followed by one thunk of kunai into wood, one of metal on metal, and another softer, wetter sound, which was itself followed by a soft gasp, and then the crash of a body falling through branches, a long way down.

Fortunately for the enemy ninja, Sakura was strong enough to catch a body falling from several feet above her, and kept the thin girl's head from striking the log Sakura had been sitting on when the attack had come.  
Swiftly, the rosette shifted the other kunoichi's position from dangling to 'prisoner that needs medical attention'. In other words, flat on her back, straddling her hips, and holding the other's arms over her head with one hand, while the other began her examination jutsu.

"Ino, come here," Sakura called a moment later, knowing Naruto would keep watch for the other ninja and keep them safe. The blone hesitated only a moment, looking a little queasy at the blood welling from the young girl's- at least, she was pretty sure it was the young girl, given the size and general shape- abdomen. The wrappings around the kunai handle were purple, and only one member of their team used that particular color to mark their weapons.  
When Ino was kneeling at the enemy's left and Sakura's right, the medic said under her breath, "Never killed anyone?"

The blonde shook her head once, a quick, jerky movement that told Sakura that she wouldn't be much use in helping her keep the other girl alive- she was just as much in shock as the one they would be working on. "Well, you haven't started yet, so don't lose it on me. Wound's low, nothing terribly vital- she's just bleeding a lot, probably got a kidney or her stomach. Terrible way to die, but I'm a decent medic, so I can take care of her, even in the field."

Naruto snorted, "Decent? Okaa-chan teach you that modesty, Sakura? You're damned good, and you know it."  
Sakura couldn't resist the small smile that grew on her face, but was grateful it was hidden behind her hair. "No, it was Nee-chan, duh. Okaa wouldn't know modesty if it killed her- probably would if she ever felt it, really."

Both blondes snorted this time, causing Sakura to smile again. She called out, suddenly, not looking away from her patient, "You may as well come down, we aren't going to attack you if you don't attack us. I can save your friend, here, but it'd be a lot easier if I wasn't worried about a kunai in my back while I do it."

There was no response she could detect, but a moment later, Naruto vanished into the trees above and behind her. "Ino," she said, then repeated the word with a light touch to the blonde's shoulder, jolting her from her dazed state, "go up by her head, hold her arms for me. I can't have her struggling when I take the kunai out- she could cut something a bit more important than what's done now."

Ino nodded, but didn't move until Sakura practically shoved her over and repeated the instructions.

The medic thought, for a moment, that Ino was being rather silly about the whole thing, until she realized her hands were trembling, too.

A few minutes later, Naruto came back into the clearing looking triumphant, dragging an unmasked, older gentleman by the collar. "Got 'im, didn't even put up much of a fight. He's got some skills, but no where near fast enough to use 'em against me. How's she doing?"

Sakura took a breath, looked up at Ino's near-catatonic stare into the bloody patch of the other girl's abdomen, and sighed. "In shock, really bad. The girl's from Yu, I think. I didn't see a headband, but she's got an ID card from there. Unless it's faked, of course."

He nodded, dropping the other prisoner and crouching down where Ino had been kneeling before Sakura moved her. "His headband's from Yu, so I'm sure that's a real one. They're the three slanted lines, right?"  
"Yes," came the response as Sakura's glowing hands performed- trembling, but still flawlessly- the medical jutsu involved with the safe removal of a sharp object from tender organs, "the hidden village of the Land of Hot Water, also called Steam. We're going to have to head there to get Sasuke back, I'm sure."

He nodded, then picked up the girl's thin wallet, leafing through it more carefully than Sakura, checking for medical alert papers such as allergen warnings, had.  
"Holy shit," he muttered after a moment.

Ino looked up to see his grin, but Sakura didn't bother.

"You did good, Ino-chan. One kunai to take down the daughter of Yugakure's Jonin-Oyabun."

The blonde woman looked confused, until he explained, "This here's Yuuna Nikio, only child of Yuuna Furoshi, the leader of Yugakure. At least, according to her ID."

"So... I killed the daughter of a village leader. I... I got Ootori wiped out because of a blood feud."

Sakura shook her head and took one hand from her patient to grip the blonde's chin, forcing her to look her in the eye, "You didn't. She'll be fine, as long as we get to to a hospital within a few days. Look, I've already taken care of most of the damage, there's only one thing I couldn't do in the field. She's not even bleeding, any more."

Reluctantly, Ino looked down toward the wound again, surprised that it was clean and almost completely closed.

Naruto continued to look through the girl, and then her older companion's, pouches and pockets, clearing out all weapons and identifying items, while Sakura worked to stabilize the older man as well. Ino, however, still seemed quite dazed.

The sun had long since gone down when Sakura got her companion's attention by calling across the clearing, "Okay, I'm waking him up."

"Why?" Naruto asked, as he stood and walked over, Ino coming from the other direction.  
"Well, we aren't sure exactly where Yu is, and we need some intel if we're going to find and rescue Sasuke."

"Right... good idea, Sakura-chan. Let me get some- wait. Ino, can you take notes, I need to do a little jutsu before we start questioning him, and it's kind of a secret."

Both girls looked up at their team leader, but he refused to meet either's eyes until they agreed.

A minute later, Sakura put a hand on either side of the man's head, pushed a finger slightly into each temple, and muttered, "Here we go... _Kakusei no Jutsu!_"

The man spluttered, coughed, and jerked convulsively for about two seconds, then opened his eyes with a gasp, his pupils quite dilated. Sakura swore, moved her right hand from the man's temple to his heart, and stabbed him with her ring and index fingers, the former glowing red and the latter purple. The man gave another convulsion, then lay still, panting, his eyes out of focus. "Shit, didn't think he'd be able to take a suicide pill just after coming up. You'd better start questioning him now, Naruto, he might have a backup, or something I can neutralize in time."  
The young man nodded, shifting position so that he could look into the older man's cloudy brown eyes as he spoke softly, with a rasp of anger, "Where did your men take our friend? Tell us."

A little out of it, the man still had the wherewithal to shake his head. "Tell... nothing. Die first."

Ino, now keeping a rather shaky watch on their surroundings, murmured, "You guys want to... well, interrogate him harder? I..."

Sakura, not really in the mood for stammering and indecision after having just been through the stress of a sudden attack and saving two lives, spit out, "Come on, Ino- just say it! You don't have the stomach, or something?"

"No!" Ino answered, whirling toward them, then turned away again, slowly. Distantly, the medic registered that the other girl was a bit green. "No... I know how to interrogate. It's something every ninja in my family is taught. I just... I've never had to _do_ it before. If you guys know, then..."

Naruto glanced at Sakura, then looked up at Ino. "Nope. Ero-sennin only taught me how to fight, really."  
Sakura had to hide her grin. She was glad Ino was looking away, because otherwise she was certain even the blonde would have caught Naruto's lie. "Shishio mostly only taught me medical jutsu. I know a lot about it, because of that, but... I'm not really sure what would be effective or not."  
Ino nodded, shrugged her shoulders, then gave herself a shake, audibly mumbling to herself, though Sakura couldn't make out what she was saying.  
"Look, man," Naruto resumed talking to their conscious captive, "We don't want to hurt you any more than you want us to. But we didn't do anything _wrong_, and you guys attacked us, kidnapped one of our friends. We just want to know where you guys take your prisoners so we can get him back, then we'll be on our way- preferably without killing anyone."

Then man still refused to speak, only stared blankly up into the trees.  
After a few minutes of silence, Naruto gulped slowly and seemed to steel himself. "Fine... maybe we can get the girl to talk. She can't have had as much resistance training."

Both of Naruto's teammates gasped and stared at him, incredulous, unable to believe he'd be willing to torture someone like that.  
A small voice in the back of each girl's mind, though they were unaware of the other's thoughts, wondered if it was the influence of a certain fox-demon. "Naruto," Sakura began, "She's just a kid. Are you really willing to go that far for Sasuke? I didn't think you even liked him."  
The blonde shrugged. "I don't, really. But he's still one of us. We swore when we left that it was all of us together or none of us. I'm not about to just abandon Ino's boyfriend just 'cause he's a prick. We get to Kumo together. That's the way it is... and if this old man and his niece have to suffer to do it, then fine."

Ino spluttered, whirling around, glaring at Naruto, but Sakura had caught on just a little quicker, and said nothing while Ino protested her supposed relationship with the black-haired shinobi. Ignoring her, Naruto stood and walked the few steps to their other captive, then bent a little low over her. "Hm. Kind of cute, in a kiddy-sort of way. Shame we'll probably be giving her scars forever. None of us are exactly experts."

Sakura shuddered at the cold tone of Naruto's voice. _I... acting or not, he just sounds so... _cruel_. Is that really Naruto in there?_  
Ino, though she had performed two mind-walks on Naruto and knew details of his psyche that Sakura likely never would, had less experience with the young man, and was in even worse shape. She turned away again, striding quickly into the trees, where Sakura could hear faint sounds of vomiting.  
Slowly, she forced her eyes to move down to the captive she was still straddling. He had not moved, except to close his eyes, probably to prevent the tear Sakura had spotted from moving down his face. Her heart immediately went out to him. 'Proper' ninja might be expected to always hide- or even have- no emotions, but it was obvious this man cared about his younger family member a great deal. She said softly, "He hasn't started yet. I think I can stop him... it's not easy when he gets like this, but if you tell us where to find our friend, we'll leave you both here, unharmed, with a kunai to free yourselves with."

The man gulped, but did not open his eyes or respond in another way.

Naruto, having listened and watched through chakra- and bijuu-enhanced senses, nodded once to himself, then went to his knees next to the girl. "I almost feel sorry for the girl. Gonna be hard to get married if she's covered in-"

"Stop!"

Sakura and Naruto both looked up. They'd expected the man to break, but the cry had come from the edge of the clearing, where a tear-streaked blonde with splatters of food on her sandals was leaning against one tree. "Just... stop. Don't hurt her, Naruto. It's not... it's not worth it."

The blonde looked at her for a moment, then said, "Don't lie to me, Ino. I know you'd do anything for him, just like I would for Sakura. Hell, even for you. You _are_ my sister. If I can put up with you and Sasuke, I can handle anything- anything to keep you happy and safe. That's why we left Ootori, isn't it? So we could be safe, and not get killed as soon as one of the bigger nations decides we're half a threat?"

Ino gulped. Sakura was sure she'd have caught on, now, but wasn't sure if the blonde was a skilled enough actress to really pull it off. Below her, she could feel the man trembling, but he still did not move. "Y- yes, Naruto. You know that... but I don't want to see you torture some little girl!"  
"Do you know another way to get Sasuke back?"

The question took Sakura by surprise, but a moment later she understood, when Ino gulped again. "Y... yes. I can... I can get the information from her without hurting her. Just like I did with you, way back when."

A part of Sakura wanted to smile. 'Way back when' couldn't have been longer than the first time Ino had mind-walked Naruto, back when he was in the coma. That was, after all, the first time they'd met- less than three months earlier.

"All right," he nodded, standing, and slipped a kunai- one Sakura had seen before but never seen him use- back into his weapons pouch. "If you think you're up for it. Do what you have to do, just hurry. We're wasting time hunting down _your_ boyfriend, here."

Ino scowled, but didn't retort.

Sakura watched, interested in more than just a professional way, as Ino knelt across from where Naruto had been and placed hand- slightly trembling- on the girl's forehead and closed her eyes, then went limp a moment later, slumped over the younger girl.

After a minute's silence, both of the conscious Ootori ninja were surprised to see a hoarse voice whisper, "What... what's she doing to Nikio-dono?"

Sakura answered before Naruto, but couldn't think he would have disapproved of her words, given the mental torture he'd already inflicted on the poor man, "She's taking the knowledge out of your niece's mind. I've seen her do it before- she can be merciful, or she can be cruel- it just depends on her mood. But your men _did_ kidnap her boyfriend. I'm not sure how nice she'll be, kid or not."

The man gulped. "Can... can you make her stop? I'll tell you, anything you need to know. Just don't let her hurt Nikio. She's..."

"Watch him, Naruto," Sakura said, then stood and walked over to Ino, forcing herself to walk normally despite the pins and needles in her legs. Ninja or not, straddling a wide body for hours was _not_, she decided, comfortable in any way.

Just as Sakura placed a hand on Ino's shoulder, the purple-clad kunoichi jerked and then bolted up into a sitting position. "I-" but was interrupted by Sakura. "He's ready to talk. I hope you didn't hurt her too bad- that was part of the deal."

Ino blinked. "No- no, I think she'll be fine, if he's really going to cooperate."

The man, now staring up at Naruto's cold expression, quickly agreed.

Two hours later, the three were speeding once again through the now-dark forest, straight northwest. They were determined to beat Sasuke's captors, who they had been informed would be taking a circuitous route to throw off pursuit, back to Yugakure. It would, after all, be much easier to rescue him from a slightly-reinforced cell than from an entire hidden village.  
"So you got everything we needed, right?" Naruto asked, but Ino, fighting a little to keep up with her better-conditioned teammates, replied forcefully.  
"Yes, for the third time! She was thinking about it the whole time, I had everything in seconds. I actually spent most of that time explaining what was going on- poor kid was confused as hell. Everything he said was backed up, he was telling the truth, as far as I can tell."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad we didn't have to hurt them... I was worried about how far we'd have to take it."

Ino and Sakura, despite their speed and the darkness of the forest, met each others' gazes and shared a look conveying one simple message: You_ were worried?_

By dawn, the Ootori ninja had reached the outskirts of the medium-sized city that was both the furthest west, and largest city in the Land of Hot Water. Much of it's territory had been taken by the power-hungry Otogakure shortly after the fall of Konoha, leaving only a thin strip of land connecting the nation's capitol with nearly half of it's former territory- all that was left.  
"Seems like a nice place. Quiet."  
Sakura nodded her agreement with Naruto's observation from their position atop a hill, but hidden within a copse of trees. "Yeah. Still early, though, even Ootori isn't busy just after dawn, usually. People are probably still getting ready for work, or whatever."

"Right... well, are we going to do this?" Ino asked, trying to get them to focus, "We need a plan- I don't think we beat them back. Are we sneaking, going in openly and legally, or fighting?"

Naruto gave a dark grin, "Oh, I already have a plan. Whatever happens... I don't want you two to worry, okay? Just... trust me. I'm not going to let anything happen to either of you, no matter what."

Sakura nodded, but held him back from rising with a hand on his shoulder. When he turned to look her in the eyes, she said softly, "Don't let anything happen to you, either. You aren't going in alone- so tell us your plan. Whatever it is, you _need_ backup."  
Reluctantly, he nodded, then began to explain.

**A/N2: **As always, guys, don't forget to review if you liked it! Don't forget to review if you didn't, either- I can't get better without your input (too). I haven't got much to say this time, except a small preview of next chapter- tthere won't actually be a lot going on in Yugakure. This whole mini-arc is really designed just to introduce some characters (yes, you can tell which ones) much later in the story, if I remember the plotline by the time we get there. :)  
Of course, I can't write a chapter and a half- or so- without some character development happening, so... we have about half of this chapter. :)  
For those thinking this chapter's a bit 'squicky' (I've heard that a lot recently, but no idea where it originated. Any thoughts?), you might not want to keep reading. I'm not a huge fan of graphic torture, but I don't hold back if I think it'll help, either. Naruto, Sakura, and Ino are _not_ going to turn into evil people, and they will never likely interrogate anyone outside of Yamanaka jutsu or the occasional pain-inducing medical technique, but... the shinobi world is very cruel, and as we've seen, even kind-hearted Naruto is wise enough to understand that sometimes mental or emotional torture is quicker, easier, and more effective than physical- not to mention, there's less mess to clean up. :)  
So to reiterate- Not a kid story. Really. (There will, eventually, be most-definitely-not-for-kids content- and it's not even all that far off, some of it- we've already had a lemon-ish scene, even if it was all in someone's head) Next time, look forward to some small amount of action in the Village Hidden by Hot Water, and then on to Kumo! (There won't be anything happening in Frost, it's mostly been absorbed by Kumo at this point, and won't take even a day for them to cross)

**Glossary:**

**Kakusei no Jutsu**: Literally, "Art of Awakening", or "Awaken Art". (Thanks to Nihongodict (dot) com for translations, as always). A simple medical jutsu used for the revival of patients. It's basically smelling salts in jutsu-form, it stimulates the brain into waking up.

**Yugakure/Yu no Kuni**: Not worth splitting into two- Yu no Kuni is the long, northwest-to-southeast buffer country on the northeast side of the Land of Fire. It's the Land of Hot Water, also called Steam, and is the birthplace of Hidan (of Akatsuki), as well as a mystery shinobi we see for only a moment during the Chunin Exams while the Sandaime is explaining the purpose of the exams. Yugakure means, literally, "Village Hidden in Hot Water", and is, again, also known as "Steam" or the "Hidden Steam Village". It is suggested by Narutopedia that Yugakure is the village in which Naruto meets Yuukimaru in the hot spring during the 3-tails filler arc, Shippuden ep. 92. I'm a little less sure about that myself, but it does more-or-less fit, so I'll go with it for now. It's not a ninja village any more in canon, but things are a little different, here. Hidan did still leave due to their more-passive ways (and yes, he'll still be part of Akatsuki), but they do maintain a small, elite ninja force.

**Jonin-Oyabun: **(lit. Jonin-boss), or the leader of a ninja village that doesn't have a Kage. The Hoshikage in the Star filler arc was, in fact, a Jonin-Oyabun, he was just an arrogant prick and called himself a Kage because he wanted to. The leaders of Kusa, Ame, and Yuki, amongst others (as far as their ninja villages go, not the daimyo), are all Jonin-Oyabun.

**Yuuna Furoshi**: An OC, the Jonin-Oyabun of Yugakure, and de-facto leader of Yu no Kuni, since in this AU, the daimyo's family has been wiped out due to a combination of infighting and outside assassinations, mostly from Oto, which has taken over a large part of the country since the fall of Hi no Kuni. Furoshi's personality is largely unknown at this time, simply because we'll get to know him later. What little Naruto knows (having at least met the man before on his training journey) is that the older ninja has one brother (who is the one Naruto captured) and one daughter. The two are his only surviving family. He is intensely loyal to Yu, but has not been able to keep his country from dwindling rather swiftly into a shade of it's former self, and has become a bitter, spiteful man because of that.

**Yuuna Nikio**: The only (living) child of Yuuna Furoshi, leader of Yugakure. A twelve-year-old kunoichi, she is both confident in her training and abilities, and very nervous about being in the 'real world'. Captured by Team Naruto shortly after they passed into Yu on their way to Kumo, when two Yu ninja squads- on a training exercise- happened upon them and attacked. Wounded, fatally without care, she was saved almost at once by Sakura.

Till next time, folks! Oh... and R&R for realsies!


	18. Chapter 18: Breaking the Mold

**A/N:** Hey, just three days since the last chapter, and here's another! I won't go into too much detail, since I explained what was happening here a bit in my last A/N2, so... let's jump right in!

**Chap. 18 Breaking the Mold**

Uchiha Sasuke was not a patient man.  
He was, however, gifted with an above-average intelligence, and a significant amount of training in reading a situation.  
It was for those reasons that allowed his present situation to continue.

_Bad enough_, he thought, _that I got caught at the first sign of trouble. But this guard's so heavy, I don't think even Nii-san could escape easily. At least the others didn't get caught.. and from the way my captors were talking, they were able to capture two important members of this village... whatever village it is._

So Sasuke watched, and learned, and waited.

At the gates to the small, heavily-fortified village, a single member of his captor's team, who, judging by his younger age and Jonin-style flak jacket, was the second ranking officer of the remaining men. Likely he was left to debrief the watch officer, in case his comrades decided to mount a rescue. In his place, seven more shinobi- nearly a third of the gate guard- moved into a secondary ring around their prisoner.  
The enemy ninja didn't seem overly concerned with hiding important details from Sasuke, for which he was, distantly, grateful. The knowledge of street layouts and standard guard dispositions was something he may well be able to use in the near future, and would even likely be useful to Ootori, if and when he returned the the fledgling Phoenix village.  
Of more, though less immediate or obvious use, was the information Sasuke's trained-but-unpracticed eye was able to glean about the personnel themselves.

_Of the fourteen ninja I've been able to watch for even a little, six are at least mid-Chunin in skill, the rest are scattered between rank amateur Genin and low Chunin, except for the one newly-promoted Jonin, and the team lead, who's probably nearly as good as Nii-san without his Sharingan. The others seem to be roughly the same spread as Ootori's ninja, but with about twice the civilian population. That makes sense, though, given that this is an established village, even if they are essentially under siege._

Sasuke continued to watch as the ninja took him to a fortified complex near the center of the village, where they waited for only a minute, and the six who had escorted him to the village itself left the others behind when they brought him into a reinforced building, around several maze-like turns, and into a large, brightly-lit and tastefully decorated office, behind which sat an elderly man in snug Jonin attire.

"Ah, you're back," the man spoke as the group filed through the door, Sasuke's eyes still roving quickly, "and right on time. Your patrol went smoothly, I take it?"

The lead Jonin did not respond for a moment, then, "For the most part, sir. We intercepted a group of what look like skilled Genin moving through our territory. We were able to capture one," he gestured slightly toward Sasuke, "and your brother and daughter remained behind to watch or capture the others."

The older man's face tightened a little when his eyes moved to examine Sasuke, which he did carefully before speaking again. "You are an Uchiha, if I'm not much mistaken, yes?"

Surprised that he was so recognizable, Sasuke nodded before it occurred to him to deny it. He said nothing otherwise, however- that was already more information than he'd wanted to give.  
The other man smiled, but it was not a kind one. "Yes... your family is well known to me. A relative of yours killed my wife some years ago, you see, and my son as well. We have some history- you understand, I'm sure."

This time, Sasuke saw no reason not to nod. It wasn't that difficult a concept- he was likely in for a tough time. He would need to escape soon, before there was a chance he could be broken.

"What is your name, Uchiha?"

Sasuke didn't answer, though he met the other's steel-gray eyes with determination. That brought a genuine, though threatening all the same, smile to the other's face. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Uchiha- we'll find out all we need to know in time. You and I are going to be good friends- you might be the first Uchiha I've ever met that I actually liked before they died." His attention turned to the team lead, "You've done well. Take him to the interrogation center, make sure he's restrained properly- it wouldn't do to have a Sharingan loose before we take it for our own- and then take a few day's leave before reporting back for duty."

The Jonin nodded before his team gave a uniformly crisp salute, and then took Sasuke to another part of the fortified complex- a part he was sure he wouldn't enjoy quite to much as meeting a village leader who hated him on sight.

"See, I told you it'd work," Naruto said with a grin as the three walked down the central street of Yugakure.

Ino still looked stunned that the group had been able to essentially walk into a village that was, to all observers, under careful, military watch. Sakura, though, surprised, was wondering if Naruto and Jiraiya had happened to come through Yu during their ten-year pilgrimage.

"Well, it helps that the Oyabun is a big fan of Ero-sennin's books, so all I have to do is tell him I'm doing research for the old man, and..."

The blonde kunoichi, not as familiar with the Toad Sage's 'proclivities', only gave Naruto a confused look, but Sakura, all too aware of what her boyfriend was getting at, scowled. "You aren't _actually_ going to be doing any 'research' are you, Naruto-kun?"

He turned a little pink, but kept a straight face. "No, 'course not, Sakura-chan. I wouldn't do what he calls 'research' unless you told me to. And I wouldn't share that 'research' with him, either- no matter how much he offered to pay me. Cheapskate probably wouldn't pay up anyway."

Somehow, Sakura was not entirely reassured.

"Uh... am I missing something?" Ino asked, looking back and forth between her companions as they continued down the main street toward the large, obviously-armored buildings in the center of town.

Naruto didn't seem to want to answer, since he only got a few shades darker, so Sakura decided she would, starting off with a sigh. "Well... have you ever heard of the 'Icha Icha' series? Paradise, Violence, Tactics?"

Ino thought for a moment with a hand on her chin. "They sound pretty familiar... maybe my mom has the set, or something?"

Sakura snorted. "I don't think your mom... maybe your dad. They're... well, let's just call them 'not suitable for children'. There's a _reason_ Naruto calls him 'Ero-sennin'."

"So... they're porn?"

Naruto's blush deepened another shade. Sakura nodded, letting go with another long, exasperated sigh. "Yeah... I read a bit a few years back when Shizune brought home the newest one for Shishio to read before I got bored. I guess you could call them 'romance novels' or 'pillow books', but... well, I'm pretty sure they're intended for a more simple minded audience than your average woman."

Ino laughed. "Simple minded? Or does the audience in question just not think with their brains most of the time?"

Sakura laughed as well, but before she could respond, Naruto, now a few angry paces ahead of the girls, growled out, "If you two are done making fun the male gender, we're here."

The trio sat in silence for more than an hour before they were let in to see the Jonin-Oyabun of Yugakure. Once they were shown into the spacious interior office, the two young women were surprised to see a younger man than they'd expected. He was quite tall, with long, silver hair that seemed to carry an almost lavender glow in the flourescent lighting. He seemed to have an almost childlike face, with a hint of baby fat and not a wrinkle to be seen, though his eyes were cold. He greeted Naruto with a small smile and stuck out his hand to grasp the younger ninja's in a shake. "It's been a few years, Uzumaki-san," he said. "Who are your pretty companions?"

Naruto responded in a voice Sakura was unused to hearing. It was smooth, the diction was perfect, and it was entirely, utterly false. "This is Haruno Sakura, and Yamanaka Ino."

"A pleasure to meet the both of you. As I'm sure Uzumaki-san has informed you, I am Hidan, the leader of Yugakure, and currently, Yu no Kuni."

The girls both bowed politely, the tall man responded with a deeper bow than would have been expected. "So, Naruto... what can I and Yugakure do for you three, today?"

Naruto glanced to either side, making sure his companions were okay- or at least accepting- of what he was about to say. "We need you to release a prisoner you took recently. His name is Uchiha Sasuke, and he's a teammate of ours."

Hidan laughed, a surprisingly low sound given his relatively reedy voice. "That's just... perfect. We've captured the shinobi who, of your generation, may just be the most talented. I'm sure your friends in the new incarnation of Konoha would be quite interested in having him back."

Sakura grew suddenly worried. What if this Hidan insisted on some kind of deal for Sasuke's release? Apprentices to two of the Sannin or not, she knew they were not authorized to make that kind of arrangement.  
Naruto, though, seemed perfectly relaxed. "Oh... yeah, about that... y'see, Hidan-sama, we kind of... we left Ootori." As he spoke, his posture slumped until, even from the side, Sakura had never seen him look so helpless. "It's just... they were instituting some policies that we just couldn't agree with, so we decided to go elsewhere."

Hidan's eyebrows rose. "You don't say... something about selective breeding and arranged marriages, perhaps?"

Naruto nodded, but said nothing. Both of the kunoichi were aware enough to scowl darkly at the idea.  
"I see. Well, I'm not sure exactly if I can help you. It also seems a little odd to me that you'd use your connection to Jiraiya-sama to get a meeting with me, and then tell me you're cutting- or have cut- all ties with the settlement he's helping to run. Don't you think that's a little odd?"

Ino watched Naruto's shoulders tense. _Damn... we didn't think of that!_

"Y... yeah, I just... didn't know what else to do. He's Ino's boyfriend- we left so I could be with Sakura, and Ino could be with him. They wanted me to be with Ino, and she's my _cousin_! I didn't want Sakura to be with the ass they picked for her, either, so... I convinced them to leave with me. We were on our way to Kumo when your guys captured Sasuke. But there's no point, if Ino can't be with the guy she loves, you know?"

Hidan's hands folded together on his desk. "I can definitely see your point- it would be a problem. But you're putting me in a difficult situation, here. Let me explain," then stood and moved over to a map on one of his walls, showing the current situation with Oto, and how they'd aggresively taken a good portion of Yu to annex into their own territory. "This is the current state of my country. Oto, who as I'm sure you know, replaced Hi no Kuni as one of the Five Great Nations just under eighteen years ago, has made mincemeat of us. Our forces are cut in half, even though we've doubled our training over the last two decades, and we're still losing badly."

Ino interrupted, causing Naruto to glare at her with a 'sshh!', "I don't see how that affects-"

Hidan, though, only smiled and continued, "I'm getting to that. I have something you want- your Uchiha. I have something Ootori wants- their Uchiha. I also have something Oto wants- again, the Uchiha. Sensing a pattern, here?"

Naruto nodded, motioning with each hand for the girls to remain quiet.  
"Well, the problem is that I can't see anything _you_ have that I want. You just said you were headed to Kumo, already a known enemy- though less aggressive than Oto. We have to defend our border with them almost as fiercely as we've had to defend Hi for the last two decades. Now, with your nascent former village, I'll have to pull troops from either that border or Oto- and that's not happening. I could probably get your Sasuke to fight for us, given a few mental techniques of our own- not anything as famed as the Yamanaka's jutsu, of course, but effective enough over time- or I could do something else, something more effective."

Naruto looked to each side again, then back to the leader of the small nation. "I'm listening."

Hidan shrugged, then turned back to the map before talking again, "Stay here. I'll let Sasuke go, you four swear your allegiance to Yugakure. We train you, give you a home... it's not Kumo, but it's a nice place. The hot springs, I hear, are some of the best in the world." The last was said with a faux self-depricating grin.

Sakura decided, when Naruto waited a moment to respond, to put in her two zeni: "You want us to move into a war-zone? There's more to it. You want us to fight for you on the front lines, help protect you from Oto- and, if they prove aggressive, Ootori. We'd end up fighting again our friends."

Hidan had the good decency to fake embarrassment. "I suppose, yes, that was implied... you are ninja, after all, and would be expected to fight with us if needed. But remember what you'd gain- security, a place to live, even to raise a family if you choose to."

Naruto gave a deep bow, then replied, "Can we have some time to think about it?"

Hidan smiled happily, "Of course! I'll even have the paperwork begun to release your friend- probably by tomorrow at noon, you'd be able to meet him here to confer with him. You understand that I can't let you into our holding cells, of course."

Naruto agreed, "'course! Well... I guess we'll stop taking up your time, then, Hidan-sama. Unless... do you remember the name of that inn Ero-sennin and I stayed at when we were here? It was so long ago, I just can't remember- I just remember it was amazing."

The Oyabun laughed again, the first Ino was even half convinced by, "Let me see... I think you were staying at the Tri-color Springs. Jiraiya-sama mentioned the green water, if I remember right."

"Ah, yeah! I do remember that! Thanks, Hidan-sama! We'll see you tomorrow to meet with Sasuke, then, and give you our reply shortly after, 'kay?"  
The lavender-haired leader nodded with another smile, and then showed them politely to the door, bowing slightly as each passed him.

The girls had the patience to wait until they were in the privacy of their hotel room in what Sakura distantly registered was, in fact, a very comfortable, appealing inn, before they started in on Naruto.

"The _hell_!" Ino cried almost as soon as the door shut behind her, "My _boyfriend_? No one's gonna believe that! I can barely stand that prick!"

Naruto put up his hands placatingly, his eyes betraying just the slightest hint of fear toward his fellow blonde, "I had to tell them _something_, and it's better if our story stays consistent, right? Besides, he likes how you look, and he seems like the type you'd go for. I couldn't be your boyfriend, because I'm already Sakura's- and I'm not lying about that unless I have to."

Sakura, at least, seemed to be slightly mollified by that, though Ino tensed further. Naruto couldn't see why she would, though. It was perfectly understandable, right? It wasn't like he was putting Sakura in any more danger by pretending to be her boyfriend, versus really being her boyfriend, right?

Sakura cut Ino off just as she inhaled to retort, "That doesn't explain why you're changing the plan, though, Naruto. We _need_ to get to Kumo, we can't settle here! Even short term, we just don't have that much time!"

He nodded, "I know, but this at least gives us a day or two to come up with a plan, right?"

She grudgingly nodded. "I guess so... but I don't think we'll have long to talk to Sasuke, so we should at least have part of a plan before we see him tomorrow- and figure out a way to tell him about it before our meeting ends, hopefully without whatever guard they have present not noticing- even if it's this 'Hidan' guy."

Naruto gave her a strange look. "That's his name- it's not an alias, or something. Remember, I've met him before, back when I was a kid. I'm a lot taller, but I recognized him easy. In fact, he hasn't changed a bit."

Ino looked a bit distracted by that statement. "Not a bit? Didn't you tell me you were gone on your training trip for ten years? How could he have not changed in even half of that's time?"

Naruto shrugged. "Donno. Ero-tou said he was 'the same as always' back then, too. Maybe he keeps up a genjutsu, like Okaa-san?"

She didn't look any less confused. "I don't know. I was trying to sense for jutsu or chakra use, and I didn't feel any. But if he was skilled enough, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell. How about you, Sakura?"

The rosette shook her head before turning to deposit her pack on the bed she and Ino would be sharing. "Not a thing. Well... there was _something_, but I don't think it was chakra, exactly. Just... I don't know. I just felt like everything he said was a lie, in one way or another. His actions, too, really- mostly his expressions. I don't trust him one bit."

Naruto nodded, "That's something Ero-sennin told me about him before we ever met. 'Don't believe a word this guy says, Naruto, unless I tell you it's true. He's a lying snake, and he's not your friend- no matter how he acts', he said. But we have to play nice too, or we won't get anything. We can't take on an entire village, even one- well, especially one- that's already under siege."

Ino dropped her own pack next to the door and flopped down onto a chair. "I know, I just... I want to get this over with already. So..." she took a calming breath, "what say we go try out these 'amazing rainbow hot-springs' while we try to think up a plan?"

It didn't take much convincing of the worried Sakura and over-stressed Naruto to go 'relax'.

As the three had discussed was most likely to happen, they been brought into Hidan's office to talk with him 'while Sasuke-kun was brought in'. This was fine with them, since it gave Naruto- again the one who would be doing most of the speaking- a chance to explain to him their reasons for declining his 'generous offer'. "Mostly, Hidan-sama, we just don't think we'd be safe here. It's too close to Ootori and Oto both, and Kumo is both naturally defended and has a significantly larger force. I'm sorry, I just don't think we can stay."

Hidan nodded, his face falling. "Well... I suppose I can't convince you?"

The blonde shook his head, "Sorry. But I think we can maybe help out in a different way."

The older man perked up just slightly, and now that she was watching for quirks like that, Ino knew that it was as staged as the rest of his actions and expressions. "Hmm? What do you propose, then?"

"Well, Kumo isn't exactly known for being peace-loving, but they're also quite tight on national security, right? Well... if we get inside and find a safe haven, I think we could maybe, under the guise of sending letters to an old friend, slip some hints about their security, major troop movements, things like that. You'd have a lot of valuable intel, if it all works out well, and no one would be the wiser."

Across the desk, the leader nodded slowly, apparently deep in thought. "That _would_ be nice... but it's a big risk. I'd essentially be trading four skilled... what, Genin-to-Chunin? Ninja for a small chance of extremely valuable information... Hmm. Why don't you meet with your Sasuke-kun, and I'll have a talk with my advisers about it. How's that?"

Naruto nodded, smiling. "Where're we meeting him?"  
Hidan gestured to the door, "Just down the hall, second door on the right from here. It's a small conference room- I'll be right across the hall, if you need anything- just knock. Village security issues, you understand."  
They couldn't believe their luck- it looked like they were going to make it!

"Naruto," Sakura whispered as they were sitting in three chairs facing the only door, "sometimes you surprise me so much. I'd never have suspected you were such a good liar- or a good politician."  
He gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head, "I wouldn't have, either. It took... hell, most of our trip for Ero-sennin to teach me this stuff. Would have taken longer, if he hadn't basically tricked me into it- most of this I just learned from watching him. If he'd actually told me he was teaching me, I'd have gotten bored, and then we'd be screwed right now... heh heh...:"

He chuckled a bit in Ino's direction, trying to get her to smile, but she hadn't been relaxed- at least toward him- since before their hours-long soak the night before. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would have guessed she was mad at him. But why would she be mad? He hadn't done anything wrong, right?

They were coming. He could feel it, and even more importantly, he could hear them. There were no signs of life anywhere in the cell block he occupied, so every sound came straight to him. The heavy _clank_ of the outer lock, the groan as the rarely-opened door swung slowly, and then heavy footsteps and quiet conversation drifted toward him down the long hall, getting progressively louder.  
"Hey, Uchiha. Your lucky day- Hidan-sama wants to see you. He says your frie-"

The guard, who had carelessly opened the door, did not get a chance to finish explaining.

Sasuke had been waiting for this chance for at least ten hours, and he was not known- even to his brother who knew him best- as a patient young man. When the guard stuck his head through the doorway, it was flung backwards by a high snap kick to his jaw, flinging into a reverse flip to land flat on his back a few feet across the hall.  
The two other guards made what, in Sasuke's eyes, was a rookie mistake- instead of flooding the room with gas or a powerful Fire jutsu, they both came inside to attempt to wrestle him to the ground. Instead, they were cooked by the fireball he sent shooting across the room as they came toward the far corner he had moved to after kicking the first guard's jaw in.

_Like taking candy from a baby,_ he thought, _did you really think you only needed three low-level guards to keep the Chosen One locked away? My destiny is stronger than that!_

Five minutes later, Sasuke was fully-armed, not just with his own confiscated possessions, but the gear of the three guards he'd killed, as well. He'd need it for the fight he could see brewing ahead- there were at least ten ninja this time, two of them wearing flak jackets, and one a mask resembling Konoha's old ANBU force's. "Ah, a warm-up. Come on, then, see if you can change my destiny!"

And then he was fighting for his life as more, stronger reinforcements continued to come in from all around the city toward the holding cells he had just vacated.

The last thing he remembered for certain before the adrenalin-induced memory loss was the way he perceived the world taking a profound shift. Everything was slower, the colors brighter, the intent behind every clench of muscles was as clear as day, and he _knew_ he wouldn't fall here. Not when his family's greatest gift had finally come to him.

_Destiny is in... _my_ hands!_

**A/N2: **Oooooooh! Yes, if it wasn't clear, that is "the" Hidan- as in, Hidan of Akatsuki. I won't say exactly what I'm doing with him, but I will say this isn't his last appearance. Just remember... there's a LOT that's different than canon- notice, instead of having left Steam/Hot Water, he's now the leader... Hmm... :) And yep, that was Sasuke's Sharingan waking up, too. I wasn't originally going to do it here- I was going to do it when they were 'captured' by Kumo- but figured this was a better way to end the scenario then having Naruto just talk it out with Hidan.  
Then again, here's a thought for you: Why would Hidan (if he IS a member of Akatsuki) let Naruto (who he knows from Jiraiya's earlier meeting to be the Kyuubi- though the sannin didn't tell him) go to Kumo? If he ISN'T with Akatsuki... again, why would he let that kind of power go? Something to think about. :)

Also, I have to admit- I'm a little saddened by the lack of reviews for this last chapter. Normally I have a dozen or so within a few days... but this time, I have what, two? Not really motivating, to be honest. Lol Review if you have anything to say at all, please- favs/alerts help, but they're a drop in the bucket compared to the kick in the pants a review gives me to write more soon. :)

**Glossary:**

**Hidan:** As I said above, yes, this is THAT Hidan, the member of Akatsuki. No, you didn't miss anything- I did not have the characters notice (or not notice) a certain ring. I want to leave my readers in the dark a bit longer about whether he's with his canon organization or not. But yes, Akatsuki _is_ out there, somewhere, biding their time. Madara's a patient man, after all, so... they have time. One thing I'd like everyone to note- the Oyabun that Naruto remembers is _not_ Hidan, but he does _know_ Hidan, and was not visibly surprised to see him in charge. But then... what happened to the Furoshi family?

**Yugakure/Yu no Kuni**: (from previous glossary) Not worth splitting into two- Yu no Kuni is the long, northwest-to-southeast buffer country on the northeast side of the Land of Fire. It's the Land of Hot Water, also called Steam, and is the birthplace of Hidan (of Akatsuki), as well as a mystery shinobi we see for only a moment during the Chunin Exams while the Sandaime is explaining the purpose of the exams. Yugakure means, literally, "Village Hidden in Hot Water", and is, again, also known as "Steam" or the "Hidden Steam Village". It is suggested by Narutopedia that Yugakure is the village in which Naruto meets Yuukimaru in the hot spring during the 3-tails filler arc, Shippuden ep. 92. I'm a little less sure about that myself, but it does more-or-less fit, so I'll go with it for now. It's not a ninja village any more in canon, but things are a little different, here. Hidan did still leave due to their more-passive ways (and yes, he'll still be part of Akatsuki), but they do maintain a small, elite ninja force.

**Jonin-Oyabun: **(lit. Jonin-boss, also a repeat from the previous), or the leader of a ninja village that doesn't have a Kage. The Hoshikage in the Star filler arc was, in fact, a Jonin-Oyabun, he was just an arrogant prick and called himself a Kage because he wanted to. The leaders of Kusa, Ame, and Yuki, amongst others (as far as their ninja villages go, not the daimyo), are all Jonin-Oyabun.


	19. Chapter 19: Terrible Foes

**A/N:** Well, just two days past the 'normal' two-week post schedule isn't too bad, I guess.

Note- there is a third A/N after the glossary. I have two questions for the readers that I'd like your input on- nothing major (or plot/character-wise at all), it's simply a matter of what you would prefer in my writing style. However, I would very much like to hear your responses.

This chapter brings the conclusion of the "Yugakure" arc, though it may not seem like it in terms of actual action. A few more tidbits are revealed, and... someone surprising needs rescuing. I won't spoil it, though- enjoy!

**Chap. 19 Terrible Foes**

The first sign of trouble that the trio from Ootori heard was the sound of an alarm coming from the room across the hall. Naruto had sprung up at once, hissed quietly, "Stay on your toes. Could be an Oto attack, could be... well, anything. Maybe even old man Yuuna's come to take his job back- I doubt he'd let a guy like Hidan kill him."

The girls nodded, a little surprised- both had actually forgotten that their original plan had required them to bargain the location and lives of the former Oyabun's brother and daughter for Sasuke's release. "Right," the medic said, pulling out a pair of shuriken with one hand, and scanning the room for hidden vents or other traps that might have been set against them.

A minute later, though, they were slightly relieved to hear a new set of feet sprinting down the hall, to fling open the door where Hidan was having his own meeting. "Leader! The Uchiha has escaped! He's just outside the holding cells, killing everyone in sight!"

Naruto's keen hearing was able to make out the Oyabun's angry hiss, before the distinct sound of a jaw fracturing under a fist snapped through the room. "Silence, fool! If he's escaped, capture him! We can't let them leave until I've spoken with my partner. You six- hold them in the other room while I go take care of the mess in town."

The three were unsurprised to hear him leaving the same way the runner had come in. A moment later, there was a soft knock on the door. "Uzumaki-san? I advise you to remain calm. There are six Jonin in the hall, not counting myself. We won't attack you if you remain still- you can even keep your weapons."

They shared a look, completely in agreement with each other, before Naruto made a single hand-sign that Sakura had seen him making since his return to the cabin months before. "Kage Bunshin."  
Sakura had expected at least ten clones to appear, but Ino, who had seen the look in his eyes and had a flash of one of Naruto's memories pop into her head from a time he looked the same, was not surprised.  
"Get ready," the boy whispered, giving the clone a sad look, "if this doesn't work, we'll have to fight. Get into position behind the table... help me turn it on it's side, _quietly_."

That task took about thirty seconds for the three ninja, including pulling out the chairs on one side so they could, while the clone held one hand on the doorknob to prevent it turning too early, while maintaining a concentrated look.  
Ino had the brief thought that the clone- and therefore the real Naruto- must have been constipated.  
"Brace yourselves," Naruto whispered, hunkering down behind the table with his shoulders braced against it and two kunai in his hands.  
Sakura mimicked his actions slowly, Ino had already done so- she'd figured out what his plan was, after all.

"Hey, I'm coming out," the clone called after they'd gone still, "I'm unarmed, and it's just me- I just want to talk without yelling, then I'll go back in quietly. No arguments."

There was a hurried discussion, and then the door opened.

The trio heard the clone take two steps, say, "Hey, sorry about that. I just really gotta pee, and-"

_BOOM!_

The three young ninja were crushed between the table and the chairs against the far wall, sustaining several minor injuries each. They gave a collective groan as the dust started to settle. "You guys okay?" Sakura asked, while Naruto stood and threw the table to the side.  
"Fine," Naruto responded, "wouldn't kill me unless it took my head off. Sorry... I didn't think he had that long to build up chakra."

Ino didn't respond.

"Shit," Sakura said, drawing the blonde shinobi's attention back behind him to where she was kneeling over Ino, who looked like she'd cracked her head on one of the chair legs, and seemed unconscious. "Naruto, can you make a clone to carry her? I don't think I'd be able to fight if I made one, and we don't have time to fix her up here."

He nodded and called one up as he slowly moved toward the devastated hallway. There were pieces of bodies all over; it appeared that he'd taken the group of officers- all likely Jonin- out with that single, extremely lucky attack. "It's clear for a minute. Stabilize her if you can, I'm gonna go scout the building with clones, too."  
She nodded, but didn't look up, her hands already glowing with faint chakra through the dust, only distantly aware of the sudden sounds of many feet moving away at a rapid clip in both directions down the hall.

"Katon: Karyū Endan!"

Sasuke was pleased to see two of the three missiles from his most advanced fire technique rip through the crowd of ninja attacking him, opening up a path for him to move closer toward the edge. Unlike the previous few minutes, the Uchiha prodigy was actually starting to worry. _Damn it! I can handle the fighting, there's just too many- I'm getting tired using all my biggest jutsu, but the little ones won't work against so many. I need to be able to back off and get a breather for a bit... come on, Sasuke! Move your ass through that hole before they close up!_

Unfortunately, he was too late- the gap was filled with a vertical torrent of water at least fifteen feet high, which doused the area in scalding steam and put out his fires at once. _Damn it!_  
The Jonin who had blocked his path gave the young man a smirk, and muttered, "Your eyes are pretty good, boy, but you can't see every direction at once. You'll never be able to stop us all."

Sasuke, unwilling to show them his growing worry, smirked. "Right... just because you're a Jonin of this backwater village, doesn't mean you can beat me. Let's see what you've got."

But before the man finished a single seal, his eyes widened, and he stepped back before going into a bow. "Hidan-sama."

Sasuke spun while the others surrounding him bowed as well, some went so far as to prostrate themselves.  
The man was tall, taller than even Jiraiya, but not massive. He had a rather slender build, and had long, lilac-colored hair that was brushed straight back to fall down almost to his waist. Sasuke could see no weapons, no armor- in fact, the man was removing the upper portion of his yukata as he walked toward the younger man with a faint grin. "Ah, Uchiha-san... you've been a very naughty boy. Maybe you don't remember, or you might not even know, since you grew up with only your brother... but bad boys need to be _punished_."

While he was confident he could handle almost any single ninja (his brother was one of very few exceptions) on his own, the way this man- who appeared unarmed and harmless- looked at him with that hungry gleam in his eyes made the young shinobi's blood run cold.

"Come on, Sakura," Naruto muttered as he continually scanned the streets outside the redoubt for attackers. He was standing just inside the door to provide as small a target as possible, while he waited for Sakura and his clone to bring Ino- apparently, the damage had been worse than the medic had thought, because before they'd left the meeting room, Sakura had informed him that she would need to keep a near-constant stream of chakra going into the other girl's system to keep her stable- any drop of longer than a few seconds would cause the girl's injury to turn into a concussion, and that was something they just could not afford.

A few minutes later, he breathed a sigh of relief when the clone followed the rosette around the corner into the lobby area.  
"Sitrep?" Sakura asked quietly, gesturing for the clone to sit the blonde girl down while the original explained.  
"Haven't seen anyone moving in two minutes- they were all rushing toward the north, down the main road. But a minute later, most of them ran back, and kept running. I'm not sure what's going on, but I've got a bad feeling about this."

Sakura didn't bother responding. _Not like I don't have the same feeling... but what can we do about it? Run and abandon Sasuke, Ino? Hell no. I may not like them, but they're still my comrades-in-arms._

"Someone's coming," Naruto whispered a few minutes later.

Sakura stood to join him at the reinforced glass doors, but she couldn't see through the sudden dust cloud that billowed down the street, aside from a hazy shape that didn't look quite human.  
"We need to get out of here," she said hurriedly, "before Hidan and the rest come back. You said we can't trust him, and now we have proof- He probably killed Yuuna-sama and took his place right around when the Uchiha got to the ruins or something. He's had long enough to solidify his control of Yu, so... this place isn't safe any more. It's probably gonna be hostile to Ootori, too."

Naruto nodded. "Get her out of here- go back to the clearing where we fought before, I don't think they'd expect us to be at the same place. I'll go get Sasuke, and we'll get out of here as soon as we can."

"But- how're you going to escape? What if he's injured, or dead? What if you get hurt, too?"

The blonde thought for a moment as the figure slowly became clearer. "I'll... yeah, that'll work. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"  
There was a powerful flare of chakra when Naruto placed his hand on the floor, not taking his eyes off of the shadowy figure. "'Kichi, go with Sakura- when you get to the clearing, dispel my clone so I know you're there, and then reverse summon me ten seconds later, okay? There'll be another person with me, and you need to make sure you get us both."

Sakura was shocked. _Summoning a specific creature? And he can reverse-summon, too? Wow, Naruto's a lot better than he's ever showed me. I still have a long way to go- but there's no time to think about that now._ "Right, Naruto," she said, sparing no more than a glance for the horse-sized red toad who was eyeing her with a look that-despite being from an amphibian- she didn't approve of at all, "Sounds like a good plan, I guess. You be careful though, okay?"

He turned away from the shadow to give her a wide grin that did nothing to reassure her, before nodding and moving out the door in a flash of black, orange, and gold.  
"Right then, cutie," the toad said, his voice strong and a bit rough, "you heard the man. Let's go- you want me to carry you? The ladies _all_ love it when I give them 'rides'..."

He only laughed when she muttered, "Perverted frog!" before following Naruto's clone out the door and heading away from the dust cloud.

Thirty feet away, the real Naruto had stopped where the cloud's force had faded. He was disappointed, but not really surprised, to see Hidan step out of the cloud, smiling, and covered in blood- but not his own. "Ah, Uzumaki-san. You don't want to wait until my partner arrives, then?"

The blonde only gave a low growl. "Well, in that case, I'm afraid my hospitality might decline a little... Like this one learned just now."

The arm hidden behind the village leader's back flew forward, tossing the now-visible body of Uchiha Sasuke to land at Naruto's feet.  
The blonde spared him a quick, apprehensive glance. _Good, still breathing... that's going to need some medical work, though. Damn, I wish I knew how this guy fought. It's not even _Chakra_, but he doesn't have so much as a scar, even though he's drenched in..._  
"Well," the man said, still wearing that devious smile, "aren't you going to spout off about protecting your friends, your honor, or whatever it was you went on and on about when you were here last?"

Naruto didn't bother raising his eyes from his unconscious teammate. "No... instead, I think I'm just going to kill you for hurting him."

Hidan smiled. "Boy... I've been waiting nine years to see you again. I'm glad I don't have to wait any longer, I've grown tired of waiting for you to return... now that I'm in control of this country, you'll have no safe harbor anywhere if you flee, and if you don't... well, Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails or not, you don't stand a chance in hell against me."

The blonde gave a short, bark-like laugh. "Why's that? You seem pretty confident for a guy who looks like he's never trained in his life."

The older man's smile widened, though his eyes grew even colder. "I haven't trained in... oh, about sixty years, I think, but that doesn't mean I haven't trained at all."

"Six- what do you mean?" Naruto asked, thoroughly confused.

"Oh... I haven't aged a day since I swore my life and soul to Jashin-sama... hadn't you heard? He's all the rage in Yu no kuni, now..."  
"Nope, never heard of the jerk."

If anything, Hidan's grin widened further. It almost looked painful. "Well... allow me to teach you about him, then. There are many, many worshipers in his service, now... a bit unusual, for a god of violence, murder, and destruction, but I like to think I've done my part in swelling his followers."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Sounds pretty lame, to me. I think I'll pass on the explanation." _Well... what the hell? Is that where he gets his strength? From some whacked-out kami? I don't get it at all!_

But understanding the source of his enemy's power would do him little good if he just stood there.  
"Tajuu Kage Bunshin!"

With a familiar cry, twenty clones popped into existence, each looking determined. A moment later, each of them split from the others to surround the menacing figure that still walked slowly toward the blonde shinobi, who now stood alone.  
At some unseen signal, the clones attacked as one, and in a blur of motion so quick that all the experienced young shinobi could see was a circular shaped flash of crimson, the group of clones seemed to detonate at once. Once the smoke cleared, Hidan had, as far as Naruto could tell, not even broken his stride. He was now only ten paces away.  
"So, Naruto-kun... I've been looking forward to this for a long time. You'll allow me a chance to properly savor our confrontation, won't you?"

The blonde scowled, drawing another pair of kunai. "I'd rather not, thanks. I don't know what you've got planned; probably something creepy to do with your religion or whatever, but I'm really not into sacrificing cats."

Hidan almost allowed a glimmer of annoyance to show, but his reply was quick as he planted the red scythe's handle on the ground to his right, easily carrying it's weight in one hand, "I wouldn't stoop so low as to offer Jashin-sama a simple feline. Human souls are, he tells me, simply _divine_ to feast upon- and only the best for my god."

Naruto gulped, but stood strong. "You'll find I'm not so easy to eat, bastard. Tajuu Kage Bunsh-"

But his jutsu was interrupted by the butt of the scythe striking his windpipe.

He flew backwards, unable to cough over the searing pain, able only to register the agony as he tried and failed to breathe through his swollen throat, and distantly, Hidan walking toward ruined wall where he lay.  
"Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun... you may be a Jinchuuriki, but you are _such_ a disappointment. We had such high hopes that _you_, at least, would be a challenge. The four- and seven-tails fell so easily, but surely the container of the Kyuubi no Yokai Kitsune would pose a little threat to break up the monotony... ah well, Kakuzu can't complain about me stiffing him out of some fun if there's no fun to be had."

Weakly, Naruto attempted to rise, one hand still clutching his slowly- but far more rapidly than normal- throat, while the other scrabbled to find purchase on the sharp stones underneath him. Hidan cocked his head when the boy attempted to speak, but only smiled when he failed. "Does it hurt, Naruto-kun? There's a good boy... tell me it hurts. Show me your pain, make Jashin-sama smile."

The younger shinobi tried his hardest to hold in the whimper of agony when Hidan's hand closed around the one circling his throat and gave a little squeeze, but there was nothing he could do.  
"Ah, yeah... that's the stuff. I wish I could feel it, too, but I don't think Jashin-sama would want me to waste a ritual on someone as pathetic and worthless as you. At least you hurt good... it's too bad I can't kill you yet, but at least I can make you suffer on the way."

With just as much unhurried grace as he'd shown when stalking toward Naruto, the Oyabun carefully sealed his weapon into a glyph on his left arm, then used the same hand to pick the teen up by the collar. "Well, no point in sticking around this dump any more. Kakuzu'll probably be happy to get out of Taki, too. He hates it there. Hmm... not going to talk all the way, huh? I guess it'll be a boring trip then, aside from your agony."  
Hidan gave the collar a quick jerk, causing his captive to cry out in pain weakly, just before jerking to a halt. He got a rather quizzical look on his face, which quickly morphed into one of disgust. "Mind-transfer successful."

Sakura dashed around the corner of the building Ino had just stepped from behind, walking slowly, one hand still covering the slightly bloody bandage wrapped around the blonde's head.. She gave Hidan a quick once-over, shuddering slightly as she did so, before bending down in front of Naruto.  
Hidan/Ino asked quietly, "Should I put him down?"  
Sakura shook her head at once, "Not if you can help it. He's not too heavy, is he? I need to check him before he's moved any more, in case it makes things worse."  
Hidan's body gave a little shrug. "Nope, I can't hardly feel the weight at all- this guy's strong. Doesn't seem to have a lot of willpower, though, he's not putting up much of a fight. I could keep him subdued for days, probably, if I didn't have to sleep."

Sakura smiled to herself wanely, while looking into Naruto's barely-conscious eyes. "Naruto- can you hear me? Don't move your head or mouth, just blink once if you can."

He blinked once, waited a moment, then blinked again. Both movements, small as they were, were sluggish, even jerky. Sakura sighed worriedly, spared the comatose body of Sasuke and Ino another glance, then moved her hands to Naruto's throat, her face screwed up in concentration. "You're definitely healing... I know I've said this before, but there is _one_ good thing about being a Jinchuuriki, I guess. You guys are damned hard to kill. That would've dropped a normal man in thirty seconds or less."

Naruto gave a little wheeze, but stopped when Sakura glared at him. A minute later, the rosette looked up at Hidan's face, shuddering again, and whispered, "You still okay holding him back, Ino?"

Hidan/Ino nodded softly.  
"Right, then- go ahead and put him down on his back. You know basic first aid, right?"

He nodded, muttering, "This guy doesn't, though. Seems like I can only see how to kill, and some strange rituals that looks like nothing more than maho. He's bat-shit crazy, though. I feel disgusting just being here, almost like I've done all of the stuff... hurry up, will you?"

Sakura's eyes rolled, causing Hidan's face to twist into an ugly grimace, but he said nothing else as he laid the now-unconscious Naruto down and moved over to Sasuke.

Several minutes later, Sakura double-checked Ino's work, pronounced it fit for travel- which made the body of their enemy give a very off-putting, feminine sigh of relief- before Sakura announced, "Right, then. I'm going to carry Naruto, you carry Sasuke. How long will it take this Hidan guy to recover once you leave his body?"

Ino took a moment to answer, but ignored Sakura's question at first. "I can hear someone coming. Couple of people, I think, from the south. They're really quiet, I'd guess Jonin. This guy's hearing's really good, too. Uh... he'll probably come to in about a second after I get back to my body, and figure out what happened about a second after that."

The medic frowned. "I was hoping for better news- on both counts. Well... can you hold him down for a while longer, while carrying both yours and Sasuke's bodies? I can't carry two for long, even with chakra-enhanced strength. My method doesn't work for sustained effort very well."

Hidan's fingers clenched, and both arms lifted. "Well... I get the feeling he's really not all that strong, but something let him move really fast, and he was carrying Naruto like it was nothing, so... I think I can?"

"Right... let's get out of here, then. We'll go somewhere to hide, then you walk Hidan back to town- your mental projection will find your body quickly enough- even if it moves slow- right? Enough so we can get moving again before they find us?"  
Hidan shrugged. "I think so, but I've never done this jutsu. I'm surprised it actually worked, Daddy just taught it to me a couple of days before we left. He said the return is about as fast as a slow walk. So it would probably take me a day or so to get back, and I'll need to eat and pee or something a little more when I get back, before we move out."

Nonplussed by the normally girly-girl's frank reply, Sakura was still too much a medic to let simple matters like biological needs deter her any longer. "Sounds like a plan, then. Think we can make it back to that cave we passed half way here?"

Ino thought for a moment, then threw Sasuke's body over one shoulder and, much more gently, picked up her own and repeated the gesture, then bounced on the balls of Hidan's feet twice. "Yeah... they really are light to him, I guess. He's starting to put up more of a fight, though, so we'll need to hurry. I might have to start letting him sense things again to make it easier if we take too long."

Green eyes widened. "You can keep him in sensory deprivation?"  
Ino nodded as she began to move, "Yeah- makes it easier, 'cause they don't know what's going on at first, and then they can't give away your secrets when you leave them."

"That's a nice jutsu," the medic said, growing respect filling her voice. "Oh, and Ino- do me a favor?"  
Hidan nodded as they started to pick up speed.  
"When we get you back to your body, and I've made sure you're okay to come back to it- healed the traces of concussion you still have- remind me to apologize to Naruto and Gamakichi for stabbing the poor frog, okay? I feel really bad about it."  
The only response from Hidan's mouth was a twisted grin.

Six minutes of high-speed travel later, and the five people- one conscious, two mentally conscious but only one of those aware, and two totally unconscious- left Yugakure in blurs of motion.

**A/N2"** Not too much to say, except maybe to clarify for those confused by the earlier AN and the conclusion of this chapter- there's a reason I'm ending it (and the arc) here. It'll be made somewhat clearer next chapter, but the rest will have to wait until much later in the story. You know, keep the mystery alive and all. The things that happen will be revealed in a flashback next time, but the ramifications thereof are the important parts later.  
Just as a heads up- I've been suffering a bit in my writing- not so much writer's block, more the lack of will to write. I love it, I enjoy it, yet I just haven't been able to muster the mind-set to actually do it. So if I start to slack off for a while, you have my sincerest apologies and regrets- I hate it as much as you do, believe me. If I could change it, I would. At least, though, these 'episodes' are always relatively short, and usually followed (and preceded) by a long burst of writing, so that'll make up for it- eventually.

Oh, and yes, that "BOOM!" was indeed the "Exploding Clone Technique"- that's why it's in the Glossary.

**Glossary:**

**Bunshin Daibakuha:** This is the "Great/Super Clone Explosion" technique. Basically, the user of Shadow Clone Jutsu puts so much chakra into a single clone- it takes about six times the amount for one clone, ie, one could create six clones with it- that the body becomes unstable. Eventually, usually within a few minutes (increasing the chakra decreases this time as well as increasing the explosion's strength), the instability will cause the chakra to violently rupture in an explosion several times more powerful than a single standard, mass-produced exploding tag. Probably Naruto's single most destructive jutsu outside of the few Wind Element jutsu he's picked up (Jiraiya is Fire and Earth, if you recall, and doesn't know a lot of Wind techs- Earth is the diametric opposite of Wind, and Fire is Wind's weakness).

**Katon: Karyū Endan:** A technique first seen used by Hiruzen Sarutobi in his fight with Orochimaru in both the anime and manga, and then later by Jiraiya in the anime. It's one of the most powerful B-Rank fire jutsu there are. It spits three fireballs in the manga, which spread in a vague cone shape, which makes it ideal for clearing a crowd. In the anime, it's a single (narrow) cone of fire instead. The heat is quite intense, and can ignite flammable materials at a lateral distance of several feet, and has been known to liquify non-tempered metals and stone if used repeatedly. Before anyone questions (overly much) my giving this to Sasuke, when he didn't display a huge amount of skill with Fire jutsu before-

He was very young when he learned the Great Fireball. Not as young as Itachi, no, but younger than average. He's also partially fire natured. On top of that, he was taught personally by Itachi, who is widely considered the most powerful member of their clan since Madara himself. So... yeah, he's stronger than he is at the start of the anime/manga. Mind you, he is _not_ stronger than Sasuke after Orochimaru's training- he is approximately half that strength. For one, he's just gotten his Sharingan and is still not used to it. For another, he has no curse seal- and has not been brainwashed by either it or the Snake Sannin, nor does he even have that lust for revenge- he wants power for an 'altruistic' purpose.

**Sitrep: **Anyone familiar with military jargon probably knows this one- it's a shorthand way of saying "Situation Report", or, "What's going on?" Normally it refers to military matters only- it would not, for instance, be appropriate to respond with, "Well, I broke up with my GF/BF/Whatever". In the same way, it's generally not considered an appropriate question for non-military related greetings or questions, either. And now that your basic grammar/manners lesson is over...

**Jinchuuriki:** I'd thought this was in the glossary before, but apparently not- it translates as "Power of Human Sacrifice". Basically, "Strength gained by martyrdom". The term refers to the humans who carry Bijuu- the tailed beasts- inside of them. They are frequently cursed and looked down on by the villages they reside in as the monsters they carry; this is most evident in Gaara's treatment, and less so in Naruto's. Kumo, oddly enough, has two Jinchuuriki which are highly respected- Kirabi, the younger brother of the Raikage is the container of the 8-tails, and Yugito Nii ("Two) is the container of the Two-tailed Nekomata (demon cat). Neither are really 'liked' or 'trusted' by the majority of their allies, but both are quite respected. In this story, Naruto is basically treated like Kirabi- a little oddly (he's eccentric in different ways, but basically seen as benevolent by _most_ of Ootori's population), but not poorly.

**Bijuu:** Just in case I didn't cover it earlier again- "Tailed Beast". Ichibi is Shukaku, the Sand Tanuki. (A Tanuki is a dog/raccoon hybrid- they're so rare as to be considered myth in Japan, but there are actual cases I've seen- one of my friends growing up had one. At least, that's what I was told it was- and it _did_ look like one. Kyuubi is the (as yet unnamed) Nine-Tails. Yes, that means "bi"- pronounced "bee"- means "tails" or "tailed". I won't go into the full list here, but it's available on Narutopedia if you want it.

**Takigakure/Taki no Kuni:** Village Hidden in the Waterfall/Land of Waterfalls. This is an ally of Konoha in canon, but is now an enemy in this AU. It's current Jonin-Oyabun is (surprise, surprise) Kakuzu. For more on him, see below. Yes, they still have the Hero's Water- but there's not very much of it. Remember, it gathers slowly, and they would have used some to fight Kakuzu when he took over. He's been rogue for a long time, and had been since long before Kyuubi attacked Konoha. Other than it's political bent (or at least it's leadership's), it is much the same as seen in the anime's filler arcs.

**Gamakichi:** Yep, my 2nd-favorite toad. (I have a big soft spot for the stupid brother, 'tatsu) He's the teen-version, ie, slightly more massive if not as tall as a horse. He does still wear a vest, and carries a kodachi- that's the type of knife Gamabunta, his dad, actually uses- it's not a tanto as it is frequently called. (I think they even call it that in canon, but it's too long for a tanto- those are like, 6 inches on a human, not 10 or 12- or even 15, like Gamabunta's is) He isn't very good with it, however, it's mostly just for show- he's still learning. Being a teenager, he's a bit more perverted than he was as a little tyke, too- as Sakura can witness. Otherwise, much the same as canon.

**Reverse-Summon:** We saw this in canon, too. It's the method by which a summoned/ing creature of sufficient power can summon his summoner. There are precious few who can do this at all, amongst the toads, it's basically the Great Old Toad, Ma, Pa, and Gamatatsu. Even Gamabunta may not have the ability, although he's definitely next on the list as most likely to. How exactly Gamabunta learned the skill is something even Naruto doesn't know. And yes, that earlier line- Sakura's confused about how reverse summoning works. She can't do it, nor can any slug she's ever summoned. Katsuya may not be able to herself, and she is undoubtedly the strongest slug summon.

**Jashin:** Hidan's crazy death god. We don't know a lot about him in canon, so I'm basing a lot of his religion off a collective of old Mongolian war/death gods, all rolled into one. It should be noted, though (lest someone think I have something against the ancient Mongolians or their culture) that even they didn't exactly revere these guys- most of the were seen as scum, and were only prayed to if they were about to go into a hopeless battle. Jashin, however, is slightly different- he likes the pain, and the suffering, and the sacrifice as in canon, and all of Hidan's powers work the same- but there's more about that coming later.

**Kakuzu:** Essentially as canon, except that- while he still wears the scratched-out Taki headband, he is now in charge of the city and country. He is, in fact, the only living Jonin there- he tolerates no even approximate threats to his rule. Of course, since he can single-handedly defend a good portion of Taki against Orochimaru (no, the Snake is not a member of Akatsuki any more here, either), Taki didn't shrink much with Oto's expansion.

**Tajuu Kage Bunshin:** Multi-shadow clone [jutsu]. Your average shinobi can create 1-3 (the Kages, at their prime, could probably do up to about ten) with their chakra- this allows them to do more. The clones are less durable, but also require less chakra individually- it can be a set amount, rather than splitting it. Using this, Kakashi could create maybe fifteen, instead of his six or so normal shadow clones. Using this, Naruto goes from about a hundred (without using Kyuubi's chakra, which is still dangerous) to about eight hundred- if he pushes it, he can do more.

**Youkai:** I'm actually not sure on this one. This spelling's 'most fitting' definition means 'ghost hunter'. Youki means "container or vessel", which would seem similar, except that the Kyuubi is not a container for itself. In Fandom, most people use this as "Demon". But... that's patently not right. Yes, we hear (in the Japanese) the Kyuubi being referred to using this, amongst other things, but I can't find it's actual, likely meaning anywhere online. /shrug I'm guessing- and this is just a guess based on general skill with language, not any knowledge- that it actually is a hint as to the Bijuu's nature as beings with bodies made of chakra. It could very well loosely translate as "The nine-tailed fox-shaped chakra vessel" or something. Again, though, that's basically just a guess. Anyone with (evidence-based, with links) input can feel free to PM me about it, and I'll fix it asap.

**Oni:** This is only in here for completeness- it means "Demon". There is a second meaning; which is the virtue of 'benevolence' or 'strictness' (a virtue relating to leaders). However, the "demon" is the important part. It can also mean a lost spirit or an ogre, but remember- in Japan, ogres and demons are basically the same thing.

**Maho:** Black Magic. Witchcraft. Dark magic arts. Goes by a lot of names, but the concept is pretty simple. A Black Mage from the Final Fantasy series would be an example of one who uses Maho. (The proper term in Japenese would be a "Maho-tsukai", or "Blood Witch")  
Yes, the strong implication here is that, to an outside observer, Hidan's power is 'magic'. For all intents and purposes, it is. He prays to a dark god, the others don't understand his power at all, and he can do wicked-crazy-evil things. Sounds like black magic to me. /shrug

**A/N3:** Okay, here's the thing (thanks for reading down this far, btw): Karyū Endan is the proper way to write that. Karyuu Endan is much less so, though still understood. The same is true for, say, Hyuuga vs Hyūga. On a similar note, what about Jonin vs Jounin or, more accurately, Jōnin? There are many words that translate in similar ways into English/Romaji. However, being the person that I am, I generally prefer the shortest way- Jonin, Hyūga, etc. (though using the latin-a version- that's with the dash over the long vowels- is actually harder, I think it looks better and is more clear).  
But what do you guys think? I don't feel strongly enough about it either way that I can't adapt.

Question two: What about Yokai/Youkai vs Oni? Earlier (maybe in Late Blossoms, my first Naruto story, but I think in this one, too) I referred to the Kyuubi as an "Oni". However, in canon, that word is almost never used- generally only when talking about Jinchuuriki, not the Bijuu themselves, or in some Genjutsu which imitates demonic foes. Basically, would the full name be:  
"Kyuubi no Kitsune wa Yokai", or "Kyuubi no Kitsune no Oni"? (Anyone who knows enough Japanese to fill me in on the correct use of wa/no in this case would also be appreciated).  
Thanks for the input, and as always, be sure to review! (Responding to these questions in either review or via PM is fine, since I try not to pad my reviews with questions- but I won't say no to some incidental raising of the count)


	20. Chapter 20: The Cave

**A/N:** Hey, guess what? An early Christmahannukwaanzikaa present for everyone! (It's Christmas for me, just in case anyone cares, but I don't tolerate discrimination, so... everyone should have a good time!)  
Just to let everyone know, this is the start of another arc of the story. Now that (some) of the main adversaries have been introduced, I can distract you with sub-plots. Besides... who doesn't love seeing Kirabi and Yugito every now and then? It's coming. :)  
On a more serious note... I'm very sad. My number of reviews per chapter has dropped drastically, while readership has stayed fairly constant (I usually get around 1.5k hits the day of/immediately after a chapter post). Are you guys busy? Lazy? Is it just not worth reviewing for any more?  
Remember my promise, I'll never EVER hold a story hostage for reviews. I write for my sake, not the readers. However, as a writer, I also have a sort of _noblesse oblige_ (feudal term, look it up) to my audience, as well. If you aren't satisfied, I have to do better. So... let me know. Easiest way's always been to review. To that effect, I've left a rather long but unusual A/N2 at the bottom. It's a good chapter to do it, since people will probably have a long weekend (avoiding your family, if anything like mine- even though I love 'em all), and there's almost no glossary (I can't think of anything as I write this, actually). So please, at the least check it out and give responding a serious think. Any writer can and probably will tell you that we absolutely love reviews- even the bad ones help, if for no other reason that it gets us fired up to prove you wrong. Tell me "u suk u shuld not right no more ev4r", and see if it doesn't motivate me- even if I rant about it later. Lol  
Anyway, I've taken enough of your time for now (does anyone even read these besides me? I know I skip the long ones after a few chapters... but not always). Enjoy the show!

**Chap. 20** **The Cave**

Naruto regained consciousness rather suddenly, but found himself unable to move, as if he had been paralyzed. _I don't feel like I'm in danger... let's see. Hard floor, probably stone. It's rough, so that fits. Cool, wet air, but I'm dry. That hissing might be rain. I can't hear anyone else. Damn, my throat hurts. Did Hidan capture me? I hope Sakura and Ino got Sasuke away. Hopefully they won't be crazy enough to try and rescue me. He's just too strong. I think I need to go to the bathroom, but I feel really weird, almost like I've been... dru... drugged. I think I'll just go back to..._

When Sakura woke up, her experience was a lot different than her boyfriend's. She was sitting upright before her eyes had finished opening, emerald orbs scanning the darkness with impressive speed. _I can't sense anyone except Ino outside. Both Naruto and Sasuke are asleep. But what's that..._ She threw off the top half of her sleeping bag and tiptoed over to the side-by-side rolls where the boy young men on their team were laid out. The blonde was twitching regularly along his whole body, as if he was trying to wake up or move. "Sorry, Naruto," she whispered, "I can't let you move yet. I suppose I need to redo the paralysis, though... I didn't think it'd wear off before sunrise, even with your healing ability. But by then, you might be okay to at least get up and walk around, even if I can't let you talk for another day or two after."

Sakura jumped a little when Ino's voice came out of the darkness behind her, "Is he awake?"

A moment later, Sakura responded, "Maybe halfway. I doubt he can hear us, but he's not showing up in my scans as asleep _or_ awake, so... He should be able to get up and move around by sunup, the way he heals. I can't let him talk until I'm certain his larynx is healed completely, though- any movement at all could still kill him if it swells up again. Anything moving out there?"

Ino knelt down next to Sakura before answering, "Just rain. I'm almost certain I got Hidan back without letting him know anything. I also planted a pretty strong suggestion that he should go talk to his partner, whoever that is, before coming after us. Hopefully it'll buy us some time."

The medic nodded, thoughtful but distracted. "Yeah... that'd be nice. I don't think we can move for another day or so. Sasuke should be okay around noon tomorrow- he's got a couple of broken bones I need to take care of after I've rested a bit... I'm almost out of chakra after working on Naruto, so... You should probably get some rest, too. I doubt anyone could find us in the rain, if they're even looking."

Ino nodded, but didn't move. "You go ahead, I'm all right for a bit. I want to keep an eye on these two, just in case. You seemed a bit worried when I came in- you sure he's doing all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah... his larynx is torn up, but it's healing. He must have been trying to scream while we were moving up here, but I didn't hear a thing or I'd have stopped. Sasuke's mostly superficial aside from those breaks- his right femur and left humerus, both just above the joint. I'd say they were deliberate strikes to incapacitate that he moved just far enough to keep from being put down permanently. He's also suffering from severe chakra exhaustion, but not bad enough that he'll need more than a night's rest to be up and about- we should restrict his jutsu use though, if we can. His eyes are drawing chakra, too, but it's a tiny sliver, and I couldn't see anything wrong when I checked them."

"Is that his Sharingan? I thought he hadn't been able to use it?"

The shorter kunoichi shrugged, "As far as I know, he hasn't. But I can't think of what else it might be. I checked for Genjutsu, even tried disrupting one I might have missed, but there wasn't any change. It's almost like he's locked in an REM cycle, but he's not moving- I had to paralyze Naruto to keep him from moving."

"Is that what you were doing?"  
"Yeah... I think I will go back to sleep, at least for a couple of hours. You sure you're all right staying up? You used a lot of chakra today too, I'm sure."

"I'll be okay. Remember, my body's been resting, so it's only my mind that's tired."

Sakura nodded and stood slowly with her knees while leaning her torso forward, stretching until she had her entire hands resting along the tops of her feet. She said nothing else to the blonde, and was asleep moments after returning to her bedroll.

Ino was very grateful, for more than one reason. Her eyes welled with tears as soon as she realized the other girl wouldn't be getting back up. "Damn it, Naruto... why'd you have to be so... _ugh_, I can't believe you. How could you just let him hammer you like that? We could have fought him _together_. You didn't have to do it alone. We're supposed to be there beside you. Don't you know that?"

The blonde girl cried quietly for another hour or more before she spoke again, her normally measured voice scratched and rough, "I know you care about us and you don't want us to get hurt. But what about us, huh? Do you think we don't care if _you_ get hurt? You're breaking my heart, Naruto... and what about Sakura? I don't know how she's been holding it together so well, seeing her boyfriend an inch from death. You _should_ have been killed; if it weren't for the Fox, you would have died in an instant, and there wouldn't have been anything we could do. If we hadn't come back as soon as we did, you'd be gone forever, and I'd- I mean, Sakura would be alone. Knowing her, she'd be alone _forever_. That's what you were risking by being the hero, Naruto. Do you understand? I don't _ever_ want you to do that again. You mean to much to u- Sakura."

She said nothing else for a few minutes, until she felt a calloused, warm hand slide underneath one of her own and grip it weakly. There was a quiet noise as her eyes flew open, but she was unable to identify the source through the tears. Once she'd wiped them clear, she could see Naruto's eyes, almost black in the darkness, looking into her own. Shocked, embarrassed, and maybe even a little mortified, the woman was still aware enough to throw one arm over the man's mouth before he could try talking again. "No, don't, Naruto. Don't say anything. You aren't supposed to talk until Sakura says it's okay."  
He gave a half-glare, clearly annoyed, but softened a moment later.

"Sorry, doctor's orders. She said you might ruin your voice box permanently, it could even cause enough swelling to kill you, so you really need to keep silent and still, okay? Even moving too much is dangerous."

He nodded, but before he'd gotten the back of his head more than an inch off the cave floor, she was pushing it back down with her free hand on his forehead, "Damn it! Stay _still_! Just- I think Sakura's idea will work. Blink once if you agree, or twice if you don't. If it's something else- or something you can't answer with a yes or no, blink three- no, wait- squeeze my hand. Okay? Don't move your head or throat, not even to swallow if you can help it."

He blinked once, clearly, then let his eyes start to roam the cave. When his eyes returned to hers, even in the darkness, she could make out the worry etching his face. "Sakura?"  
One blink.

Ino nodded in the medic's direction, "Over there. She's really tired, said she was almost out of chakra. She's okay. I am, too."  
Relief flooded his face, though it lasted only a moment before concern replaced it again.  
"Sasuke's okay too. She said he had some broken bones, but nothing she can't fix tomorrow after she's rested. How're you? Any injuries besides your throat?"

His eyes half-closed in concentration for a few seconds, then there were two blinks.

Ino exhaled in relief, shedding tension in waves. "I'm glad. Listen... were you awake for a while? You know, while I was talking?"

One squeeze.

_Damn it!_

Another squeeze.

_Thank Kami..._

And a third.

… _what? That wasn't a complicated question... was it?_

It took her a few minutes to figure it out; "You think you might remember hearing some thing, but you aren't sure if you were dreaming or not?"

One squeeze.

The anxiety that had filled her with the first squeeze vanished again. "Umm... okay. Well, I'm sorry I worried you, but you worried us too, so... next time, don't be the hero, okay? You're our leader for this mission, and you should keep us safe, but if you're injured, who's supposed to take charge? We need you healthy, and we... well, Sakura's really worried. If I were you, I'd get her flowers or something to apologize, when we get to Kumo- I don't think I'd wait till we get back to Ootori."

Two squeezes, a pause, and then a third.

She smiled wanly, "Listen, do you need anything to drink? I couldn't find your canteen to fill it, but the rain's probably filled Sakuras and Sasuke's by now, so I should probably put mine out now."  
One blink, accompanied by a soft smile.  
"'kay, I'll be right back then."

She let go of his hand reluctantly, feeling immediately colder, but shrugged off the feeling as worry for his health. She checked Naruto's backpack one more time, but found nothing new except a pair of frog-covered boxers down at the bottom. _Somehow they don't surprise me..._

When she returned a few minutes later, she tipped the spout to his lips with a word of caution, "Small swallows, if you have to at all. Better to let it just run down, if you can."

He blinked once, but seemed unable to stop the reflexive motion, making him wince with each swallow.  
She stopped after four, "That's enough, I think. I don't want to make it worse, sorry. It might be a while before you can eat anything, too."

He blinked once, before his hand snaked back into hers. She was surprised by the look of guilt that flashed across his face, but he didn't remove his hand, and neither did she.

A couple more hours passed in silence, with both blondes drifting in and out of sleep, until a quiet groan from Naruto woke Ino completely. Taking his hand cautiously, she asked, "Are you all right?"

His face screwed up in either pain or concentration, he didn't blink, but there was a definite pair of squeezes from his hand.

"Your throat hurts? Is it worse?"

She was about to go rouse Sakura, but the second squeeze stopped her. "Something else? It's not your throat?"

Two.

"Uh... How about... two squeezes for lower, one for higher? Is it in your shoulders?"

Two.

"Okay... chest?"  
Two.

"Stomach?"

There was a moment's pause, and then two more, as Naruto's face slowly began to pink in the early-morning light. "So... still lower, but not far?"  
One.  
"Your... do you have to go to the bathroom?"

There was a long pause as he turned red, then a single squeeze.

Ino said nothing as her own face colored. "Well... you probably aren't safe being moved yet. Can you hold it?"

Three squeezes.

"You want me to wake Sakura and have her check you?"

Two.

"I don't know what else to do, Naruto. Either I wake her up, you go in your pants, or you hold it in. Unless..."

She couldn't believe she was going to say this. "Unless you want me to help you."

She winced under the two very strong squeezes. "Ow! Sorry... there's really not much else I can do. It's not like I want to, either, but... there aren't that many options. If it helps, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

He got, if anything, even darker. She could feel the heat radiating from his face, and his hand seemed to grow several degrees warmer.

A few minutes later, though, he seemed to have convinced himself, because he gave a single, tentative squeeze, but refused to open his eyes.

"Okay... how're we going to do this? You can't sit or stand... I guess I can just get a bowl or something to..."

But none of their bowls seemed like it would be a good idea to let a high-pressure stream of urine out into, and the canteens were strictly off-limits. She looked around for several minutes, checking in each of their backpacks for something that might service, before her eyes stumbled upon Sakura's medic kit, which was still sitting right next to Sasuke. _I don't know why she'd carry something like that, but if there's anything with us that would work..._

She took several minutes to search through a number of sealing scrolls before she found one she thought was most likely. "Bodily Functions" looked as good as any.

A few seconds later found her kneeling next to Naruto holding a clear piece of tubing about an inch thick, which had one end fed into a quart container that seemed to be made of some kind of clear plastic. It had measuring markings going up both sides, but the numbers didn't make much sense to her. "Well, I guess this'll work, Naruto. Uh- before we start, first... I'm sorry, okay? I'm just trying to help."

He blinked once, clearly uncomfortable still, but it appeared his need was overpowering his ability to care.  
Hesitantly, with several fits and starts, Ino proceeded to unzip Naruto's trousers and pull them open and down a few inches as both of their faces got redder and redder. Before she continued, Ino was struck by a flashback of the first time she'd seen Naruto in his mind, when she'd been unable to get past- for a few perceived moments, anyway- his figure. Fortunately, at the time, she'd been able to keep herself from examining him _too_ closely, she had only seen the shadowy sillohuette of his member as he knelt to crawl through the undergrowth into Kyuubi's prison. Later, after the combination of her hormones, Naruto's impressive physique, and the Fox's ability to scare her primal nature to the forefront, she had been too busy to examine him, even if it was partially (mostly) him she'd been thinking of as she mentally pleasured herself. After, she had simply been too embarrassed to look. The second time, though, she had gotten quite the eye full- as had many of the people of the village. The sheer impressive _size_ of it had caused her- and most females in the crowd- to gasp in shock, several with sudden interest as well. _And now I'm going to be holding it- him- in my hands. But focus, Ino- you're just helping him go to the bathroom. It's nothing sexual, he doesn't like you that way._

With that thought in mind, she reached her hand down again to pull him out of his pants. Naruto gave a quick intake of air, his whole body going tense, but still kept his eyes screwed tightly shut as her own widened. _Kami, it's even bigger up close!_ Nervously, she took it in one hand, even it's flaccid size enough to stretch more than an inch from both the top and bottom of her hands. "Uh... let me know if it's too hard. I don't... I don't think I'll be able to get the tube _on_ you... I think I'll have to hold it there. Is that okay?"

He gave a little head-twitch, apparently unwilling to open his eyes to blink at her, as she picked up the tube with her other hand. She put the tube at his tip, which she noted with some interest was pulsing with what was probably his hearbeat- it seemed to be quite a bit faster than normal, even for someone as hyper as Naruto could be. "Okay, I think... wait, sorry, just one more..." she'd noticed something she hadn't before about the male anatomy- the specific position of the urethral exit. "Okay, that's good. Sorry. You can let go, now."

Deeper crimson than he'd been so far, she felt him relax at once, and was surprised by both the force with which his bladder emptied, and the heat of the fluid as it coursed through the tube to splash into the beaker.

When he was done, she carefully tilted the tube to prevent backflow, then set the beaker aside and turned her attention back to Naruto. "That wasn't so bad, was it? I mean, it was embarrassing as hell, sure, but we got through it. Now I just need to tuck you-"

Ino's eyes widened once again. Her hand was still on him, but with the distraction of his need to go removed, Naruto seemed to be reacting to her touch. "Oh- uh... sorry!"

She removed her hand hurriedly, turning red again to match his own color, before, "So... how long will that take to go down? Should I just tuck you back in like that? It looks a bit... uh... I was gonna say hard, but that seems like a bad choice of..." then she whirled away to present her back to the mortified boy, muttering to herself, "Shut up, shut up, shut _up_, Ino-bunta! You're just making it worse!"

Both were even more horrified to hear Sakura's sleepy voice, "Hey, Ino, you're up early- did you sleep any last- _what the fuck?_"

"Uh, he needed to go to the bathroom, so-" was as far as Ino got before what must have been a grip tighter than a gorilla's closed over her upper left arm, three of the fingers digging in below the muscle to cause maximum pain. Sakura's voice had gone from tired to furious with a touch of incredulous, but the cold hatred Ino felt when next she spoke made the blonde kunoichi's blood run cold.

"And you didn't think to get _me_? The medic for this mission? A medic trained by one of the densetsu no Sannin? His _girlfriend_?"

Ino tried to turn, to show the other girl the sincerity in her eyes when she spoke, but the medic would have none of it. Short of dislocating her own shoulder, it seemed Ino wouldn't be allowed to face the others while she tried to explain. "It wasn't like that, Sakura. I swear! You were so tired last night, and I knew you'd need your chakra to work on Sasuke today, so I was just trying to let you sleep more! That's it!"

Sakura's grip tightened. "You think I'm going to believe you had _my_ best interests in mind? You've been ogling Naruto for months! I bet you just jumped at the chance to get your hands on him, trying to seduce him!"

Ino stiffened, and repeated, "No, Sakura, that _wasn't_ why. Yes, I check him out- he's hot! I'm sure you've noticed, he's not the only one I look at. But I'm not so desperate for attention that I need to fondle a guy while he's _peeing_! What else should I have done, huh? I already-"

Sakura's voice interrupted with, "You should have woken me up!"

But Ino continued on as if she hadn't opened her mouth at all, "-told you that's all it was! Look at the damned beaker, if you don't believe me- it's even still warm! It's not _my_ fault your boyfriend likes my touch! He probably got off on it!"

Trained by her father, Ino had endured quite a lot of pain in her life, but the slow rupturing of the muscles in her arm probably put most of it to shame. She was unable to hold back her whimper as the medic's grip tightened further. Her voice now a menacing hiss, Sakura replied, "Naruto isn't like that, Ino. If you took even a minute to think about what kind of guy he is, you'd know that he _loves_ me- _me_, and he's not the type to cheat! He doesn't think with his-"

A quiet, almost nervous cough caused them both to jump in surprise and stare down at Naruto, but he was only staring up at both of them with wide, terrified eyes. It took a second for Sakura to figure out that it was her other patient who'd coughed. "Um... Sakura-san, I believe Ino-san is sincere. I was, er... awake, for some of it, you see. There was only a moment's time between when she set the beaker down and she noticed his, umm... reaction."

It occurred to Ino that she should probably have brought her camera along. It was highly unlikely anyone would _ever_ see the stoic younger scion of the Uchiha clan's head family so uncomfortable, or blushing so strongly. _Still, he had the balls to stand up to Sakura when she's pissed. That counts for something... he must be trying to make up for getting caught so easily._

Sakura said nothing for several minutes as the pressure around Ino's arm gradually decreased, until the medic's arm eventually swung down to hang limply at her side. Without a word, she then turned and knelt as gracefully as she could, gently tucking Naruto's penis back into his trousers and zipping them up. When Ino turned around, the medic was running glowing green hands over the boy's throat again, but, from behind at least, seemed to be refusing to meet his gaze- made easier, she was sure, by the fact that he was determinedly looking away from both of the kunoichi, as well. _I bet you could cook an egg on his forehead right now._  
"Uh... I'll just go dump and wash the beaker out. You... you have anything I can use to sterilize it?"

Sakura didn't reply, so eventually, Ino bent to grab the beaker and tube with a sigh, and walked from the cave.

"Naruto," Sasuke said after a few minute's uncomfortable silence, "why did you come to rescue me?"

"He can't talk, Sasuke," Sakura replied for him, "Not for at least another day. He should be able to get up and move around in a few hours, though. He's healing pretty quickly, even for him. I'm guessing that guy pulled his hit a bit, even though it still would have killed almost anyone."

Sasuke gave a sort of jerky nod, and scowled. "When I broke out, I was surrounded almost at once. They threw about two dozen Genin at me, first one at a time, then a couple, a few, and at the end, the last seven. I got a headache about half way through that fight, right behind my temples."

Sakura nodded, rising from Naruto with a soft, "You'll be all right, sweetie. Just take it easy for a bit- here, clack this stone on the ground if you need something, okay?"

He gave her a weak smile, then closed his eyes, obviously still embarrassed beyond words even if he could speak.  
She moved over to Sasuke next, as he continued his tale, "There were a few Chunin and Jonin, as well. The Chunin followed the same pattern, and I actually had to fight for them. The last bunch, there were four at once. My eyes... my kekkei genkai really woke up then, and my headache went away. It was like... I was fighting for my life, desperate to escape or win so I could get away from the Jonin- there were only a few of those- and then, I wasn't. Instead, it was like a sparring match with five-year-olds. Every move was telegraphed too easily, even their hand signs, and I knew- _knew_- what they were going to do before I should have. Every attack, every block, every jutsu, I could get around it. They... I beat them all in seconds. I thought I'd be able to handle the Jonin, too, but I didn't even have a chance. Before I could attack, that guy with purple hair- the one that was carrying us out here- showed up and whacked me with his scythe three times before I could even blink. I saw it happening, I knew it was coming, but I couldn't _move_ fast enough to stop it. That's... how it happened. I'm stronger now, but I'm obviously not strong enough. What about you guys? How were you able to win?"

Sakura didn't reply for a long while as she knit both of Sasuke's broken bones back together and reinforced them with a sheath of chakra for a few hours until the accelerated healing finished. "It was Ino. All I did was make Naruto's summon disappear so we could come back. Hidan- that's the guy with the hair- he's the leader of Yugakure, by the way, he took down Naruto with one hit to the throat, that's why he can't talk. Shattered his larynx into about seven pieces. I've never seen cartilage break at all, except in the nose and sternum where it's a bit harder, but that hit... it'd have killed anyone but him, I think. Maybe another Jinchuuriki, or someone with a bloodline ability that reinforces the body, or heals extraordinarily fast, or something. But Ino... when Naruto went down, we were just getting there. We took cover around a corner, but I was certain that Hidan guy knew we were there, he just didn't think of us as a threat. He picked Naruto up and started walking away, but it was slow and almost straight away from us, so Ino got him with a new jutsu she'd just learned. She basically possessed him, I guess is the easiest way to explain it. She was able to suppress his senses and control his body, even access his memories and thoughts a bit. That's why he was carrying you two- I was carrying Ino's body, 'cause she wasn't... well, in there. Then when we found the cave, she took Hidan's body back to Yu, and planted a false suggestion that we had gone toward Oto before she left. The rest you know, I guess."

The black-haired shinobi looked thoughtful, but only murmured his thanks for healing his injuries before tucking his knees up to his chest and staring blankly at Naruto, though she doubted he was really watching the other boy.

Distracted herself, Sakura made her way back over to Naruto and took his hand in hers after she knelt at his side once again. "Naruto, I'm... sorry I reacted that way. You know I trust you, I just don't trust _her_, not with you. I wish I could really talk to you about it, to hear your voice, but... I can't really explain it very well, I'm sorry. It's just... I know you look, and I know I said it was okay if it was just looking, but the way you look at her... It makes me so jealous, and I don't even know why. Your eyes light up, and you get this silly smile on your face. You used to only do that for me."

He looked like he desperately wanted to say something reassuring, but kept his throat from doing more than twitching. His grip on her hand tightened though, then pulled her hand over to lay on his chest, where he covered it with both of his own before smiling up at her.  
She absently wiped away tears she didn't know she'd shed, then murmured, "I know, Naruto. I love you too. It's just... sometimes, when I'm feeling weak or... or stupid, or something, I think... I think I'm not the _only_ one you love, that's all. I know you aren't like that, but... it's the way I feel. But don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I'm not even _really_ mad at Ino-bunta, I just... I overreacted."

He smiled again, one thumb now caressing the back of her hand on his chest.

There was a comfortable silence in the cave for several more minutes, until Ino's rapid footfalls drew Sakura's attention.

"Guys, get up- we have to move! There's a large force of ninja coming from the northeast- I think it's a Kumo raiding party, and they're heading straight for Yugakure- they're coming right at us!"

**A/N2: ** Did y'all like that bit of 'biological necessity'? I thought you might... or might be disgusted. Honestly, I thought long and hard about whether to include it. It kind of seemed like a 'gross out stunt', but the way I originally conceived the scene in the cave, it was just the aftermath of this- which is actually going to be the flashback parts later that I mentioned two chapters ago. They're almost all Ino/Sakura centric. But they'll probably be 'on the move', so it will have to come in drips and dribbles. Maybe, if I decide to let them get captured right away (It's a bit up in the air how I'll have them reach Kumo- in chains or not- at this time, but they'll get there one way or another), it'll be all at once. Who knows. Really, I left it in there just to get Sakura good and riled at Ino (and no matter what she says, at Naruto too- she can't help being mad any more than he could have helped his 'reaction', because yes, she's hormonal too, even at 18. I know from experience that plenty of people don't really start getting a hold on themselves until their 20's). That'll be important later. It was also ammunition... but for who or what, I won't say just yet. :D  
Anyway, on to the meat of the matter... I had a glorious (I think) idea, brought about by my writing group- I can't really take credit, since people have been doing similar for ages, but I thought of applying it to Fanfic reviews. I may not be the first one (I'd actually doubt I am), but I came up with it on my own, so... credit for me. Feel free to use the idea on your own, however- I think it's too good to keep under wraps, personally. However, I would also appreciate it if you give credit where it's due. I took the time to think up and write down this list, so... Please? :) Consider it a Christmas present from you to me, if you must. The stuff below is just a bonus, one that I hope continues to move forward- I'm posting it on my profile for a reason. :)  
So... without further ado, the REVIEW FORM. :)

**Instructions:** Simply Copy-Paste this into your text box after hitting the "review" button (and either signing in or putting in a name, if necessary), and fill in the blanks. Simple stuff, really.  
As always, it's all strictly optional, though most useful if it's filled out completely. If one has reviewed multiple chapters, it's considered perfectly acceptable _not_ to answer the 'story as a whole' questions more than once. No need to be redundant. But if you see something new... of course it'd be nice to mention it. There are 19 total questions, and as I said before, only answer what you feel like. This is just to give you some thoughts as to what I'm (and probably other authors, which is why I say it's fine for anyone to use it) looking for in a 'perfect' review. That'd be answering each of these with specific information. And if it doesn't make your life easier, if you think it's a pain... don't bother. Just review anyway, please.

1: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall plot flow of this chapter?

2: Of the story as a whole?

3: If possible, name one specific example of a strength or weakness in plot for this chapter?

4: Of the story as a whole?

5: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the characterization in general of this chapter?

6: Of the story so far?

7: If possible, name one specific character and trait of that character you feel was portrayed well, and

one portrayed less than perfectly.

8: Again, of the story so far?

9: Same scale of 1-10, how would you rate the grammar/typing skills of the author in this chapter? This

includes punctuation as well as sentence structure and spelling.

10: You know the drill by now, the whole story?

11: Any specific typos or spelling errors (especially repeated, such as the common 'definatly' and

similar, or you're/your) that you can think of? Being specific helps to identify a problem better, but

should not feel like a requirement.

12: 1-10 for each; please rate the general word choice skills of the author. Is the author using words that

are too complicated, or too simple? Do the descriptive sentences bring images to your mind, but

not bog down the pace of the story, or even the scene? Is the wording too flowery, or too dull?

1=Simple/10=Complicated:

1=Jolting/10=Vivid:

1=Dull/10=Flowery (for this only, a "5" would be perfect, since either extreme is bad):

13: How do you feel about the balance between action and calm? Do you prefer more action or more

emotional tension ('fluff')? For this question only, 1=More action, 10=More 'fluff', and 5=Good

balance.

14: How would you rate the effectiveness of any non-antagonist OC's? Be specific, if possible. If

Matsumi Karuugi, the princess of the Land of Crickets was a love interest for, say, Shino (hey,

genius idea!), is she interesting? Developed, not flat? Is it fun to read about them, or do they just

get in the way of the main characters? 1=Waste of text/10=Adds a lot to the story, well done.

15: Similar question, but for OC antagonists? Are they just bumps in the road, or do they actually

threaten the protagonist(s) in some way? Do they have well-thought out goals and plans? What

about their lives outside of total world domination (or whatever)? 1=Waste of txt/10=Good bad guy.

16: Does the author use antagonists effectively in try/fail cycles? 1-10, and as always, be specific if

possible.

17: Does the author display knowledge of the subject matter? 1/10. As an example: Me trying to write

a fic about, say, Trigun. I've watched the series... once. I probably won't watch it again. It was

funny, yes, but didn't hold my interest due to it's sheer inanity- it was just too much. I know the

main four characters- Vash, Milly, whats-her-name (the tall one? Or is that Milly and I can't

remember the short one's name? Was it Meryl?), and the priest with the big cross-gun-thing,

what's-his-name. I will not _ever_ (I can say that with some certainty, yes) be writing a Trigun fic-

because I don't know it that well, as proved above. On the other hand, I know Harry Potter like

the back of my hand- or better. I know Naruto well, I know Bleach pretty well. If I don't, I can look

it up and get the information that brings it all rushing back- so yes, I know those and can write

about them.

18: Other positive remarks? Anything else that struck you as good or well done, but that doesn't fit into

the above categories?

19: Anything negative? Remember to be constructive here, don't just flame. Real, or even semi-serious

authors generally want to be told what they need to improve, as well. Don't hesitate, don't worry

(too much) about hurting my feelings- you won't, as long as you're handling it with some maturity.

Even if all you can come up with is something general like (using One Hour as an example, since I

had complaints about this), "I can't read this any more because you're making it a 3-way and I find

those degrading". I may not agree (and I have argued my point at length, trying to get people to see

my point of view as well as I like to think I can see theirs), but at least now I know that some of my

(some former) readers don't like that sort of thing, and are in fact strongly against it. It's all relative,

and any little thing can help.

**Glossary:** Nope, nothing- unless you want me to reiterate what/where Oto and Kumo are. On that note, remember that Oto is about twice the size it is in canon. Much of that was taken from Hi, but a significant portion was taken from Yu and Taki, as well. And yes, Taki is controlled by Kakuzu, and Yu by Hidan. Those are their home countries, yes, but... make of all the rest what you will. Oto's current territory is actually larger than the land-mass of Mist. I might just make a map of that too, actually. I think I'd enjoy it and it might be useful to know the current geopolitical climate for the readers. :)


	21. Chapter 21: The Clouds move in

**A/N:** Hey all. I know it's been a while since the last update, but you get one that's quite a bit longer than normal to make up for it; 8.5 pages instead of the usual 5 or so. :)  
This is again a bit of a bridge chapter, dealing mostly with character interaction between our heroes, but there's an appearance by some other recognizable (if different) faces, too. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If not... well, I'm sorry, but it's gotta be this way.  
There's another copy of the "review form" after the AN2 and Glossary. Please use it if you're at all tempted to make a review. It's really not that complicated, even if it is long. Just ignore (or delete) what you don't want to answer. Thanks again, and enjoy the latest chapter!

**Chap. 21 The Clouds move in**

"How long do we have?" Sasuke asked, leveraging himself to a standing position.

Ino thought for a moment, looking back over her shoulder, "Maybe ten minutes, tops. I got lucky and had a scout go right past me without noticing me while I was cleaning the beaker. I checked up a tree and saw them coming. We need to move!"

Sakura was already throwing her medical supplies into it's case, sealing the more fragile items as she went, when Naruto's weak hand caught her arm on her third pass. She looked questioningly at him, but he only shook his head.

"What is it, Naruto? Are you saying you can't move, yet?"  
His head shook again, a little more vigorously, then his mouth moved. _Why haven't we thought of lip-reading before this? We're all ninja, aren't we trained in that?_  
"Oh... okay, so you want to get caught? But we aren't in Kumo yet. They might think we're from Yu."

He nodded and rolled his eyes, then continued to silently explain his plan, while the others paid rapt attention to his mouth.

Two minutes later, the three that could easily move were scrambling to finish packing their remaining supplies, while Naruto slowly crawled- the best he could do without tiring himself out almost at once- toward the cave entrance.

Ino was honestly glad for the stress of the situation, or she'd probably have been quite annoyed with Naruto's idea. It was basically what they'd discussed and used in Yu. She would masquerade as Sasuke's girlfriend, and Naruto's cousin, while Sakura and Naruto's relationship wouldn't be faked at all. If she were totally honest with herself, she didn't exactly _mind_ the idea. The Uchiha was a handsome enough guy, or at least, he would be if he did something different with his hair. It was his attitude that she didn't think much of. He was smart, she could tell, probably on Sakura's level. However, that intelligence seemed to hardly ever be used, not because he was lazy like Shikamaru, but because he believed he didn't _need_ to. There was an innate arrogance to Sasuke that made him see everyone not Uchiha as inferior. While Ino might (often) feel the same way about most other females, someone feeling that way about _her_ didn't exactly warm the cockles of her heart.

_I hope he's a good kisser, at least. __At least I've finally kissed a boy now, so I wouldn't be giving away my 'first'. I doubt that cold fish could hold a candle to Naruto-kun, though._

"Hey, Sasuke," she asked as she threw her last few belongings into her pack and shouldered it, "you going to be able to handle this? I don't want them to figure it all out just 'cause you can't act the part of a proper boyfriend."

All three of her teammates snorted, though only one was without amusement. Naruto winced in pain after his, causing Sakura to hurry over to him with her own pack in hand and gently massage his throat with a few blue-glowing fingertips.  
"I'm a shinobi, I can play the part. How hard can it be?"  
"Well... you know, we're probably going to have to kiss. You any good at it?"  
He turned beet red almost at once, a color to match his sharingan. "Uh, I... er-"

Ino sighed in exasperation. "Well, it's a little late now. Just follow my lead, okay? And try not to slobber to much."

His eyes narrowed. "And how much experience have _you_ had with kissing?"  
"Oh, I've never kissed a boy before."  
"So what makes you think you'll do so much better than me?"

She smirked, taking her place he and Naruto, "Easy. All the girls I've kissed tell me I'm quite talented."

Her rival and crush turned a little pink as well, just before the first wave of ninja broke from the forest. Heading directly toward them in a loose dragnet five deep and several dozen wide, the Kumo ninja spotted them at the entrance to the cave at once.

"So remind me again," Ino asked in a nervous whisper, "who's bright idea this whole plan was?"

"More trouble with Fugaku?" Jiraiya asked Tsunade as he looked up from his own day's desk work.

She nodded curtly, brow furrowed in concentration and annoyance. He knew that look well, it was usually directed at him. "Anything I can help with?"

The slug sannin froze for fifteen seconds, blinked twice, and then blushed. "N- no, not really. It's just more of the same. He thinks they need ten more acres of land in their Clan holdings than the Hyuuga have, because they have two more members. _Two_. Five acres each. Like they'd even stoop so low as to farm it themselves or anything. At least the Hyuugas generally grow or trade for their own food."

The white-haired man nodded, understanding that gripe all very well. They'd started to take it in turns to handle the minor squabbles between the two large clans, who together still made up about eighty percent of Ootori's shinobi population, even counting in the swell of returning shinobi from Konoha's old clans. "You could always cut _down_ their land by ten acres. Maybe then he'd figure it out."

Tsunade thought about it for a moment, then simultaneously shrugged and shook her head. "It'd never work. He'd get the message, but I'm not sure the rest would, and I really don't think he's even the problem, here. We just haven't codified the _laws_ enough, so there's loopholes everywhere. I've put Shikamaru on it, but until we get the rest of the Nara to join up, it's a pretty big job for just one person. Do you realize, we have an entire filing cabinet full of rules and laws for Ootori, and we've been here for a little more than half a year? If you think about the job of going through Konoha's old laws and taking what we want from them, it's even worse. They had more than a hundred years, and _rooms_ full of this stuff. Makes me want to take up drinking again."

Jiraiya snorted, "Since when did you stop?"

Her glare would have killed a lesser man, but, as he would be happy to tell you at length, Jiraiya was no 'lesser man'.  
"I mean it, you were drinking last night. With _me_. You might not remember it, but I do, I always remember our dates."

It was her turn to snort now. "You think, just because we share a drink over dinner that it's a date? Why would I ever date you, anyway? You're a pervert."

"Ah, hime, you wound me... _just_ a pervert? You must not know me as well as you think you do."

The medic scowled. "Fine, a super pervert, then. That doesn't exactly help your case, here."

Jiraiya's eyes rolled. "Yeah, but that's not what I was going for. I... you know what, never mind. You don't want to hear it right now anyway." _Bait on the hook..._

One blonde eyebrow twitched. "Fine, I won't ask then. Now get back to work, we're supposed to have this done before we stop by the Academy this afternoon, remember?"

Faking a depressed sigh, the sage bent his head back to his own thrilling and exciting paper work. _Nothing like dividing up cleaning detail to battle-hardened ninja to liven a day! Oh, and 'line'..._

It took six minutes, which actually impressed the Toad Sage.  
"Okay, _what_? What are you too worried about me hearing? What's had you mentally derailed all day? For the last week, really?"

… _crap, I didn't think she noticed that!_

"Um... well..." he gulped, suddenly afraid for his life. "It's about the, uh... the kids. They were captured in Yu."

Tsunade was halfway out the door before he caught her arm, "Hold on, 'hime. I got a message from Gamakichi a couple days later, he said Sakura dispelled him so she could go back for Naruto. I'm sure they're fine, if she's still fighting."

The look in her eyes reminded Jiraiya all to well of why he'd fallen for Tsunade all those years ago. Compassion, worry, and yet, under all of that there was a quiet determination so much like his own. And, if he were to admit it, so much like the children they'd raised as their own. "I know you're worried, 'hime. I am too, this is a big mission for basically rookies. But we trained 'em both right, and as far as I can tell, the Uchiha and Yamanaka are worth their weight as ninja too. They'll be all right. No news is good news, huh?"

Tsunade slowly turned around and grabbed his haori in two tight fists. "They'd better be, you old pervert, or I'm never _ever_ going to forgive you for getting my kids killed."

Hesitantly, still fearing for his life, Jiraiya's arms came up around Tsunade, pulling her close. This time, for the first time, there wasn't a moment of resistance. "They will be. If something comes up, they'll get a message to us. Somehow, some way."

She nodded against his chest, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, and 'hime..."

"Stop calling me that."

"... they aren't just your kids, you know. They're mine, too."

She looked up into his eyes, her own glinting on the borders of real anger. "You aren't trying to tell me we may as well get married, are you? Because if you are, that'll be what I put on your epitaph."

He shook his head, grinning, "Nope. Not even close."

"Liar."

"... maybe. But I didn't say it. I'm a pervert, not an ass."

"A super pervert."

He nodded, pulling her closer still, "Yeah, but I'm _your_ super pervert. Always have been."

Tsunade surprised herself, simply because she did not have the urge to deck him across the jaw for that one. _Maybe I'm getting soft... or maybe it's just because I think he really means it, even after all these years._

The swarm of Kumo split apart, with at least thirty, probably closer to fifty, passing by on each side of the cave, while ten more surrounded the group of Ootori ninja.  
Ino was the first to speak, "Please, don't hurt us. We're not trying to fight Kumo! We were actually trying to get there when we were captured by Yugakure. My cousin was hurt escaping, and he can't talk- we need to get to Kumo quickly, or he could die."

Sasuke was impressed, she really was a good actress. The sincerity the blonde portrayed, terror laced with anxiety and spiced with a dash of worry, was perfect for the situation. "If you're planning on capturing us, we'll come quietly. None of us want to fight you, we really were on our way to Kumo when Yu caught us."

The apparent leader, a large-busted blonde woman with short, straight hair, gave the four an analytical look. "Bind them in chakra binders. It means a few less captives from Yu, but this is probably the team from Ootori we heard about, so they're worth it. The Raikage will be pleased."  
Her tone was borderline emotionless, but Sasuke could see the scorn in her eyes. _Great, there's one person we won't convince easily_.

True to their word, the four did not resist being bound, and only Sakura spoke to let them know that the collar they'd placed around the other's necks would probably kill Naruto, since his larynx had been broken. The dark-skinned, red-haired woman who was about to put it on glanced at her superior, who gave a slight nod. The red head stood straight and moved over to Sakura, placing that same collar around her own neck.

"Chakra suppressors," the blonde said after the four were tightly bound, "so don't bother trying. If your conduct is good, you're likely to be placed in low-security cells while we 'debrief' you. If you try to escape, well... the bindings also have keyed alert seals. We'll know, and it won't be pleasant."

The four nodded, Ino once again reassuring her that they wouldn't try to escape.  
"You, Uchiha."

Sasuke looked up, meeting the blonde's eyes, but said nothing.  
"Have you awakened your eyes?"

He hesitated, the nodded, "Just recently."

She gave a cruel grin, "Good, that might be useful. We haven't had a Sharingan since the Raikage's father died. And you're a Yamanaka," pointing at Ino, "and you two are the students of Jiraiya and Tsunade."

Surprised by the obvious Jonin's knowledge, the four only stared blankly until Sakura stammered out, "H- how- how did you know?"

The older woman grinned again, but it was just as un-reassuring as the previous cruel one. "You think you're the only ones who do recon? We know all about your mission. We even knew you escaped from Yu. Congrats, by the way. It's not every day some maybe-chunin level ninja can come up with a story so based in truth, and yet be a total lie."

Naruto grinned at the praise, but the others only seemed to grow more worried.

"Well, then you must be willing to at least partially go along with it," Ino said after a moment, "if you're taking us back to Kumo. Even if you're interrogating us, we still have a chance to learn something."

The blonde nodded, still smiling, "Oh, you'll have your interrogation. But I doubt you'll be able to report back. Not after Yugito is done with you."

Naruto was still the only one grinning, "Nee-chan? We get to be interrogated by Nee-chan! This'll be fun!"

The tall, blonde woman's face fell in shock. "What- who's this 'nee-chan'?

"Duh," Naruto said, his voice now starting to shake with the strain of talking, "Nii Yugito. Nee-chan. I met her last time I was in Kumo. She's nice. Scary, but nice."

"Take them away," the Jonin growled, choosing not to respond as she turned away. "Karui, Omoi, you three will reinforce team Tono and escort our captives back to Kumo. I will continue on with the rest to rejoin the assault team."

The largest one present nodded, "Right, Samui. Should we return when that's done?"

The blonde shook her head. "Neg. I doubt we'll take very long in Yu, if our information is correct. If Hidan really has gone to Taki, then it should be easy pickings for a force this large. We'll probably be on the way back before you reach Kumo."

He nodded, "'kay. See you in a few days, then."

One of the Kumo shinobi put a hand on the chakra binders holding each of the Ootori's hands behind their backs, and the four, plus the large dark-skinned man, dashed down the hillside and into the trees, pushing their captives ahead of them.

_Well,_ Naruto thought a few days later after they'd been placed in their cells, _I guess things could be a lot worse. I could be in a cell with _Sasuke_. Poor Sakura..._ At first, the medic had actually insisted on being placed in Naruto's cell, due to his continued need for medical supervision. However, since Omoi- the large, dark-skinned man who had been in charge of the group that had brought them to Kumogakure, had been adamant in not letting 'the lovebirds' have an enjoyable time all alone in their cells, had given them little choice in the matter. With nothing else for it, Sakura had been forced to instruct Ino on what to watch for in the other blonde's condition, and what to do if those things happened.  
Of course, they were still banking on Kumo not knowing exactly how good Naruto's ability to recover was, exactly. They were sure, given the information displayed by Samui, that their information was good. However, since the only people who knew exactly what the Nine-Tailed Fox did to and for Naruto's physiology were himself, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, with the possible additions of Shizune and Sakura, they were hoping that at least some surprise would be had if needed.

_I guess it proves it that they were willing to carry me from the cave all the way here, even though I was able to walk just fine the next day, and probably ninja-move after that by the end of that same day. Even though I hate thinking that red-furred bastard is good for anything, I can't deny that being near-invincible really helps sometimes._

"Hey, Ino-chan," he said softly into the darkness.  
Her response was equally quiet, from the opposite corner. He thought he could make out a catch in her voice, as if she'd been crying, but he hadn't heard anything beyond the distant screams of a man being tortured elsewhere in the prison complex. "What, Naruto?"

"Come here."

At first, she didn't move. But after a minute or so, he heard shuffling and then felt her sit down next to him, leaning against the wall directly facing the door. "What?"

He slowly, wincing as if the action hurt, slid an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. At first, the pretty blonde resisted, but after only a few seconds gave in and started sobbing on his shoulder.  
"Nice act, Ino-chan."

She didn't respond verbally, only snuggled up closer to him, still crying. After about twenty minutes, she seemed to quiet some. "Th... thanks, Naruto. I needed that."

"Don't mention it," he muttered uncomfortably, "I know I'm not Sasuke, but at least I can do this, right? I don't even think Sakura would be jealous. You seem pretty upset."

She shrugged awkwardly against him. "I am. I know you said you knew this Yugito person, but their leader said she was a really dangerous interrogator. What if... what if she breaks me? I mean, I'm a Yamanaka. I'm trained to resist... but if I _do_ break, what secrets can they get out of my head? They'd know all about you, for starters, and everything I've learned about Ootori, and my family, and..."

"Ssh," he murmured, moving his hand up to stroke her hair above one ear, "don't worry too much about that. Nee-chan _is_ a good interrogator, but she won't mess with us, not after she finds out I'm here. They probably won't torture us at all."

"You sound pretty sure," was her only response.

"I am. She's my friend."

"Why? How do you know her?"

He smiled at the memories. "Well, she's like me."

Ino looked up to examine Naruto's face in the dark room. "You mean she's an idiot?"

He chuckled, "No, she's a... a Jinchuuriki. The Two-Tailed Demon Cat, Nibi. Her element's Fire, with a secondary for Lightning. She's got a blood type of A, her birthday is July... 23rd? Maybe 24th. I can never remember. She's gonna be...thirty-two? Older than us, I know that. She had the Nibi sealed into her right after she turned two. She can control her beast much better than I can... she can even transform into it if she needs to. I... I kind of can, but it's _really_ dangerous, and I kind of... well, lose control. When I do, I mean."

Ino was silent.

"So... she's blonde, it was long when I met her last. This was... oh, about five years ago now. I was still with Ero-sennin at the time, on our training trip. She's got darker hair than you and me, about like Tsunade-okaa's. Hmm... she's really nice. Likes ice cream a _lot_. She even plays with string. I laughed when I saw her doing it the first time, and she scratched my face up- she said the cat makes her, and she can't help it. I think she just does it to have fun. She... she didn't have a very nice childhood."

"Oh."

_Yeah... 'oh' doesn't cover it, Ino-chan. I don't even want to think about the kind of childhood I'd have had if I wasn't raised by Ero-daifu and Okaa-san. But Nee-chan's childhood gives me a good idea anyway._ "So... that's why she's my Nee-chan. She's blonde like me, but older so it's Nee. And she's... well, we have something in common."

"You really think she'll help us?"

Naruto nodded against her head, pulling her in even closer. "Yep. Even if she doesn't, Kigahen-Kirabi will. He's the Raikage's brother, and... he's like us, too. Even older, and he's _really_ scary when he wants to be, but he's okay. Mostly I just can't stand the way he talks. He always tries to rap, he's just so_ bad_ at it."  
"Like you? Another Jin..."

"Yeah. I think he's got the Eight-Tails. He's got his well trained, they even talk to each other without fighting all the time. He can transform, too. I think he's the one that taught Yugito-nee to do it."  
"And he's a rapper?"

"Well... he _thinks_ he is. That's why I call him crazy."  
Ino giggled. "You don't seem like you think very much of him."

"Oh, no!" Naruto answered loudly. Ino jumped at the volume, it was close to his normal speaking voice, and in the quiet of the cell, it was surprising. "No, I think tons of him- Nee-chan, too. He's just... eccentric, that's all. People think I'm a bit crazy too, so what's wrong with me seeing the craziness other people get up to as odd?"

She shrugged against him. "Hey, Naruto..."

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell Sakura... but I kind of like this."

"What?"

"Just... sitting here. With you. Talking. Even if we _are_ in a cell about to be tortured."

His free arm moved across his chest to take her hand in his. "I know. Don't worry, I won't tell Sakura-chan... unless she asks. I can't lie to her. But I like being her with you, too. Almost... well..."

"Almost what?"

She could feel his cheeks heating up as they rested against the top of her head, but he refused to say more on the subject. Once she figured it out, though, she couldn't help but smile.  
_Not out of the game yet, Sakura... even if I said I'd back off, that doesn't mean Naruto won't notice me anyway!_

Elsewhere, Sakura and Sasuke were in a similar room, though decidedly less comfortable with the arrangements. Their chakra binders had been removed when they were placed into their cell, so Sakura had been able- she had even asked the guards, who shrugged and said it wasn't there business- if she would be allowed to access chakra to finish healing the Uchiha's injuries.  
It had taken her another two hours of work to finish knitting his bones together, but with little else to do, she was able to push his system harder than normal, since he wouldn't be able to train. In fact, the most strenuous thing she could think of that might be in their future- hard-core interrogation- would likely not cause damage to his bones unless it was deliberate.  
"Sakura," the Uchiha muttered in a low voice, breaking her out of her bored reverie, "isn't it about time to escape?"

She shrugged. "I don't really see the point. I could see a little through the blindfold as they brought us in. We're basically right in the middle of Kumo. Even if we got out somehow, we wouldn't be able to find the others before we were captured again, or worse. Much less escape the village."

He nodded once in the darkness. "Hm. You don't suppose the others are in any better shape?"

Sakura scowled. "Knowing Ino, she's probably enjoying the chance to be alone with her 'cousin'. He... well, I don't know about Naruto, but as hyperactive as he is, he's probably going stir-crazy locked up. I hope he was right about this 'nee-chan' of his."

Only half listening, it was a few seconds before Sasuke nodded. "I might be able to get us out. All of us, I mean. If I use the Sharingan... I'm a _lot_ faster than they would be. If I could hold off the people in Yu for as long as I did..."

"It's not worth the risk," was her response, "besides... they haven't _done_ anything to us, yet. Just threats, and what are those worth? We're shinobi."

Reluctantly, he fell back into silence, slouched against the wall facing the door. "It's just... that screaming is starting to get to me."

"What scream- _oh_. It's a Genjutsu. I got rid of it before we even got to the cell."

She could see his dark eyebrows quirk on his pale face even across the room. "A Genjutsu? How come I didn't notice it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I didn't even think to mention it. I figured with your eyes, you'd sense it right... off... oh." She gave a little giggle, prompting Sasuke to look directly at her again.

She clarified, "It's a purely auditory one. There's nothing to _see_ with your eyes. That's why."

He nodded, focused a moment, and pulsed his chakra a small amount. A moment later, he grinned. "Good... that was really getting on my nerves."

"So you're _sure_ about this, Naruto-kun? It's been like, six days already."

He shook his head. "Nah... just three. They're screwing with our clocks by bringing us food more frequently. I can hear the people walking around outside talking about shift changes and stuff like that. But don't worry, they're talking about the Cat Demon coming in today. I'm pretty sure that's Nee-chan."

"And you're _sure_ she's really nice? She won't... you know, torture us?"

He shook his head, grinning. "Nope. You know Ibiki-san, than former interrogator guy?"

She nodded, "Yeah, he's one of my dad's good friends. It's actually through him that we heard you guys were setting up Ootori again."

"Well, he thinks there's better ways to get information out of someone. He only uses torture if he _has_ to, even though he's supposed to be really great at it. These guys? They're good, too. So they don't actually use the hard stuff very often. Usually, just the threat of it- that, and making people stew in a cell for a while, _thinking_ about how they're gonna be hurt- is enough to break most people. But Sasuke and Sakura can handle it, and you've got me to cheer you up, so what's to worry about?"  
Ino sniffed. "You make it sound like I'm weak."

"That's not what I mean, Ino-chan! I mean, even if it does get to you, I'm here. That's all. You're here if it gets to me, right?"

She nodded. "Right... I guess. Still, this is getting old. Do you think I should try my techniques on her?"  
Naruto thought about it for a moment. "Well... you were able to get into my mind fairly easily, so I don't think it'd be that much harder. But both of the Kumo Jinchuuriki I'm aware of have much better bonds with their Demons than I do. I'm not sure how that'd affect things. They might be able to... well, if you'd stuck around when you saw him, Kyuubi might have been able to kill your mind. If they're prepared... and they know you're a Yamanaka, remember, they'll probably have defenses up. I wouldn't risk it unless you have to."

"But it's the easiest way to get information on them I know of."

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You're here for that reason, but I'm pretty sure there's easier ways. We just need to wait for the opportunity to present itself."

The kunoichi frowned again. "You don't sound much like the Naruto Sakura remembers. I mean, for as long as I've known you, at least, you've been pretty smart, but you don't talk like a smart person."  
He grinned. "I've had some practice lately. I hate being formal, that's all. I don't mind being smart. But since I'm the leader of this mission, I have to act like one, right?"  
"I guess," she said with a chuckle. "So... what're you and Sakura going to do if we ever go back to Ootori? With Tsunade- and Jiraiya-sama both mad at you two, I mean. Where will you live?"  
He shrugged. "Haven't thought much about it. Maybe we won't even try living with them any more. Sure, we'll try and make up... but if things don't work out, it's not like we can't make it on our own. We have friends, each other. Maybe we'll get married."

"Married?" she returned, quite surprised, "I didn't think you guys were that close. Aren't you, I don't know, a little young?"  
"Maybe... but we've known each other our whole lives, remember. Sure, we're only eighteen, so I don't really _want_ to get married yet, but if we had to, we could. The option's there."

She was quiet for a long time. "And... you're sure it's Sakura, then?"  
"What do you mean?"

"Well... you're sure, if you marry anyone, it'll be her?"

He didn't respond for an equal amount of time. Ino's heart fluctuate with incredible relief and profound anxiety. She knew she was well behind the rosette in Naruto's thoughts and heart, but still, there was always that small glimmer of hope...

"I guess?"

"You don't sound very sure," she probed, still trying to get a better answer. She wasn't quite sure if she could take it either way, though.

"Well... we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, do we? If she dies... I would hate it, but I would want to move on. I think she feels the same. And... maybe we'll have this huge fight, or something, and just not be able to make up."

"Hm, maybe. I think your relationship is strong enough to get past things like that, though."  
"I want to agree, but I just don't know. I've only been in the one, so I don't have anything to compare it to except the old man and woman, so... and it's not like _their_ relationship is healthy, if you know what I mean."

She giggled again, moving over to lean against him once more. "Yeah... if my parents fought like they do, I'd never have been born- my dad would've been unable to bear children, if you know what I mean."  
Naruto winced.

"I hear someone coming," he said a few minutes later, "Two men and a woman. This might be her..."

"Nee-chan?"  
:"Yeah... Nii Yugito."

**A/N2: ** Not much to say I haven't already typed in below. I have a job now, which is why the updates are slower. It's not 'great', but it's a lot easier than the last job I had that paid the same, so I'm not complaining. Especially since it's been more than a year that I've been unemployed. Not complaining at all!

So, hopefully I won't be as long this time, but I'm also working (read: sidetracked by) on a huge 'secret project' that has nothing to do with any anime fandom, but is a fanfic (it's actually a game one, but I won't say what game until I release it- when it's complete).  
As always, please please please _review_, folks! It's not that hard, but it means tons!

**Glossary: **(Japanese terms were researched at nihongodict(d0t)com)

**Daifu:** Godfather. There is another variation of this (kyoufu) that means something very similar, however, it carries mobster connotations- where "aniki" or "oyabun" refers to a higher up or a 'boss', this refers to the Godfather as in "The Godfather", the man on top of the pyramid. Daifu is simply the familial term, ie, what Jiraiya is to Naruto aside from being his pseudo-grandfather/father and sensei. In other words, it's godfather in the traditional sense.

**Nii Yugito:** Yep, this is the regular Yugito. She's not much changed from canon. If there are any changes, they'll be explained in story, but I'm not planning anything now- except that she's still very much alive and well at this point. (Since Naruto's location was unknown/on the move, Akatsuki has been on hold for some time, so they haven't really started on anyone yet.)

**Team Samui:** Again, not much changed from canon- this is the one and only Genin team that Kirabi trained. They are now lead by Samui. Like many fanfic authors have done before, I'm going to be giving them all a familial relation, given their similar names- however, they will not be brother-sister types as is most common. Omoi and Karui are cousins, Samui is one of their aunts, although only 2 years older. They call her 'auntie' to be insulting, or 'cousin' if they're happy with her. Aside from that, consider them canon- Kirabi's students, and more loyal to him than the Raikage or even Kumo.

**Samui:** Cold, calculating, even vicious while on the job, Samui is a soft-hearted person outside work. Basically, consider her canon, although of course the events surrounding them are quite different. Remembers the war against Konoha/Hi quite well, despite being fairly young at the time. She was a seven-year old Genin at the time, but still saw some combat in the reserves when Konoha launched an unsuccessful counterattack against Kumo's forces. She actually respects Konoha a fair bit because of that, but doesn't know what to think about Ootori. She was Kirabi's first apprentice, but later was on the Genin team with Karui and Omoi when they graduated from Kumo's academy at the ages of 9-10 respectively.**  
Karui:** The youngest member of Team Samui, and the one most outwardly devoted to Kirabi (though she really only shows it more). Like the others on her team, a very proficient swordswoman, she has some ability with Lightning and Fire jutsu, but generally just prefers the sword. Her skills when fighting alongside her cousin, Omoi, are even superior to Samui's great swordsmanship. Otherwise, canon- she's hot tempered and brash, as well as physically quite strong.

**Omoi:** The middle member of Team Samui, and the only male. Quiet, controlled, and thoughtful. He's essentially Kumo's version of Shino in personality- though he worries out loud, instead of in his head. However, he's very hard to beat since he's usually planned things out several steps ahead due to that same propensity for worrying. A very skilled swordsman, like Karui, with her at his side he can even beat Samui. However, he uses jutsu a little more readily than his cousin and aunt, though he focuses solely on Lightning jutsu.

**Kirabi:** Yep, it's Hachibi! Basically canon. I don't anticipate him being different at all. And as a slight spoiler... yes, he's going to be teaching Naruto a thing or two, though not (necessarily) what he's been doing in canon.

**Kigahen:** It means "crazy". Also insane, mad, 'light in the head', etc. Yes, Naruto did call Kirabi crazy. If I recall, he did so in canon, too, shortly after they met. Wouldn't you?

This is the afore-mentioned Review Form. Use it if you want, but at least leave 'some' kind of review, please. Like all authors, I thrive on 'em. :) Also, feel free to review the form itself. I know it needs toning down, and I'll be getting to that soon, but what are your thoughts on it?

**Instructions:** Simply Copy-Paste this into your text box after hitting the "review" button (and either signing in or putting in a name, if necessary), and fill in the blanks. Simple stuff, really.  
As always, it's all strictly optional, though most useful if it's filled out completely. If one has reviewed multiple chapters, it's considered perfectly acceptable _not_ to answer the 'story as a whole' questions more than once. No need to be redundant. But if you see something new... of course it'd be nice to mention it. There are 19 total questions, and as I said before, only answer what you feel like. This is just to give you some thoughts as to what I'm (and probably other authors, which is why I say it's fine for anyone to use it) looking for in a 'perfect' review. That'd be answering each of these with specific information. And if it doesn't make your life easier, if you think it's a pain... don't bother. Just review anyway, please.

1: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall plot flow of this chapter?

2: Of the story as a whole?

3: If possible, name one specific example of a strength or weakness in plot for this chapter?

4: Of the story as a whole?

5: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the characterization in general of this chapter?

6: Of the story so far?

7: If possible, name one specific character and trait of that character you feel was portrayed well, and

one portrayed less than perfectly.

8: Again, of the story so far?

9: Same scale of 1-10, how would you rate the grammar/typing skills of the author in this chapter? This

includes punctuation as well as sentence structure and spelling.

10: You know the drill by now, the whole story?

11: Any specific typos or spelling errors (especially repeated, such as the common 'definatly' and

similar, or you're/your) that you can think of? Being specific helps to identify a problem better, but

should not feel like a requirement.

12: 1-10 for each; please rate the general word choice skills of the author. Is the author using words that

are too complicated, or too simple? Do the descriptive sentences bring images to your mind, but

not bog down the pace of the story, or even the scene? Is the wording too flowery, or too dull?

1=Simple/10=Complicated:

1=Jolting/10=Vivid:

1=Dull/10=Flowery (for this only, a "5" would be perfect, since either extreme is bad):

13: How do you feel about the balance between action and calm? Do you prefer more action or more

emotional tension ('fluff')? For this question only, 1=More action, 10=More 'fluff', and 5=Good

balance.

14: How would you rate the effectiveness of any non-antagonist OC's? Be specific, if possible. If

Matsumi Karuugi, the princess of the Land of Crickets was a love interest for, say, Shino (hey,

genius idea!), is she interesting? Developed, not flat? Is it fun to read about them, or do they just

get in the way of the main characters? 1=Waste of text/10=Adds a lot to the story, well done.

15: Similar question, but for OC antagonists? Are they just bumps in the road, or do they actually

threaten the protagonist(s) in some way? Do they have well-thought out goals and plans? What

about their lives outside of total world domination (or whatever)? 1=Waste of txt/10=Good bad guy.

16: Does the author use antagonists effectively in try/fail cycles? 1-10, and as always, be specific if

possible.

17: Does the author display knowledge of the subject matter? 1/10. As an example: Me trying to write

a fic about, say, Trigun. I've watched the series... once. I probably won't watch it again. It was

funny, yes, but didn't hold my interest due to it's sheer inanity- it was just too much. I know the

main four characters- Vash, Milly, whats-her-name (the tall one? Or is that Milly and I can't

remember the short one's name? Was it Meryl?), and the priest with the big cross-gun-thing,

what's-his-name. I will not _ever_ (I can say that with some certainty, yes) be writing a Trigun fic-

because I don't know it that well, as proved above. On the other hand, I know Harry Potter like

the back of my hand- or better. I know Naruto well, I know Bleach pretty well. If I don't, I can look

it up and get the information that brings it all rushing back- so yes, I know those and can write

about them.

18: Other positive remarks? Anything else that struck you as good or well done, but that doesn't fit into

the above categories?

19: Anything negative? Remember to be constructive here, don't just flame. Real, or even semi-serious

authors generally want to be told what they need to improve, as well. Don't hesitate, don't worry

(too much) about hurting my feelings- you won't, as long as you're handling it with some maturity.

Even if all you can come up with is something general like (using One Hour as an example, since I

had complaints about this), "I can't read this any more because you're making it a 3-way and I find

those degrading". I may not agree (and I have argued my point at length, trying to get people to see

my point of view as well as I like to think I can see theirs), but at least now I know that some of my

(some former) readers don't like that sort of thing, and are in fact strongly against it. It's all relative,

and any little thing can help.


	22. Chapter 22: Kumogakure

**A/N:** Not that long- just a bit past the due date- but the chapter's just a little longer than average in length- 6 pages, more or less. Win some, lose some I guess. :)

Yugito and Kirabi both make their first appearances- as well as a surprise visit that I hope is pleasant to all of you; he's rapidly becoming one of my favorite non-main characters. (I would consider the "rookie 12", Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kirabi, Gaara, and Kakashi- not even Sai or Yamato/Tenzo- to be 'main characters') Anyway, this is about half way- maybe a lot more than- through the 2nd arc of the story, but we're still a long way from being done (I have at least 3- as many as 9- arcs planned, depending on how they turn out and how interested people stay- so _review_! I can always use those plot devices later if people stop showing me the care about what happens here). If this chapter confuses you plot-wise, see the A/N at the bottom to answer your questions first- though I don't mind repeating my answers if asked in reviews... :D

**Chap. 22 Kumogakure**

Unfortunately, the three unknown ninja (Naruto was sure they were trained given the active chakra presences he could sense from all three) passed his and Ino's cell by without word or pause. The kunoichi had even called out to them, not really expecting an answer, but more to remind them that she and the jinchuuriki were still there.

Four hours later, the same three people passed their door again, only to return half an hour later and pass them by once again.

"This is getting ridiculous," Ino growled, clearly frustrated with being cooped up, no matter how much she enjoyed the company.  
From the same position he'd occupied before, Naruto frowned. "Calm down, Ino-chan. They're probably just interrogating the others first."  
"How's _that_ supposed to make me calm? I know how interrogation works, remember? Who knows what they're doing to our friends?"

She had whirled to face him, hands clenched, but his eyes were closed, his breathing slow, as if nothing that was happening had fazed him.

"How are you staying so calm?" she asked after a few tense seconds, throwing herself down beside him once more.

"Easy, really. I don't have long to live, so I've gotta conserve my chakra."

"You... what? You're _dying_?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yep. I figure I've only got an hour or two, tops. If they question me, I won't last that long, since I'll have to resist some of their mental techs. That takes more chakra, you know."

The conspiratorial way he'd informed the mentalist of what- to her- was a basic fact of life confused the Yamanaka even further. "What... what are you talking about? How'd you suddenly get so dumb?"

Naruto grinned. "Can I let you in on a secret, Ino-chan?"

She frowned, but nodded. A few seconds later, his warm hand clasped hers where it was wrapped around her knees. "Even shadow clones don't want to die. I'm a little scared."

"Sh- _shadow clones_? How long- what are- but- _how long_?"

He grinned sadly, but amusement still danced visibly in the blue eyes, visible even in the darkness. "I substituted with Omoi the second day. He's probably met up with the others coming back, now, so the boss'd better get to work quick. Especially if they're gonna interrogate me, or they'll find out even sooner."

Ino panicked when the door swung open silently, to reveal four stern-looking Kumo ninja, each with their hands on a weapon. "I knew the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails wouldn't come so quietly. Kill the clone. The girl's going to be interrogated by Raikage-sama. _Personally_."

The kunoichi gulped, but the clone only grinned. "'bout time you guys figured it out. I guess the secrets out, so... come kill me!"

The fake Naruto leapt toward the others, and one of them met his jump with a kunai, which pierced the clone's throat.  
Ino felt a moment of panic when the clone didn't immediately dispel, but there was a loud bang and a puff of smoke- smoke that smelled of vanilla and cherries- before she and all four of the Kumo ninja started coughing violently. Whatever the smell may have been, it was definitely not pleasant to inhale in a confined environment.  
In fact, the blonde kunoichi was coughing so violently, that she didn't even think to resist as her hands were placed once again in chakra binders before she was blindfolded and lead from the cell.

(O)(O)(O)

"I _told_ you, already! We're trying to escape from Ootori. They're trying to make my girlfriend marry her own cousin, and me marry... that_ harpy_ screaming in the next room that her cousin actually _wants_ to be with for some reason I can't figure out! We just wanted to come live in Kumo peacefully, maybe even enlist in your ninja forces! But if _this_ is how you treat prospective new members, you can stuff it- we'd be better off in the Bloody Mist!"

The tall, blonde woman interrogating Sasuke snorted. "Nice act, kid, but even you aren't dumb enough to want to go _there_, not with an obvious bloodline limit like yours. Get real... besides, we already know the whole story. Just 'cause your 'fake girlfriend's boyfriend's girlfriend' or whatever that 'harpy' really is to you hasn't cracked doesn't mean the rest of your team haven't. Beats me how she's screaming loud enough to be heard past the sound-dampening seals, but that's not my problem. Bad luck she drew a less... patient interrogator."

The Uchiha scowled. "Sakura may not be the most prestigious kunoichi I've ever heard of, but she's damned close. She's the apprentice of Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin. You might've heard of them? She's not going to break to anything short of a master... if then. You'd have better luck breaking me. And the others? A Yamanaka, and a jinchuuriki... I'm sure _they_ don't know _anything_ about resisting interrogation techniques, or about how bad life can really be. Good luck with them. I hate to say it, but I'm probably the one that'd break _first_ out of our team. And that's not happening."

One of the blond woman's eyebrows quirked. "An Uchiha admits he isn't perfect? Will wonders never cease. Maybe you're closer to cracking than you think."

Sasuke frowned and leaned back in his chair, staring directly at the woman's eyes as he spoke, "No... unlike most of my Clan, I was taught by someone who learned the value of humility. While my destiny will _not_ allow me to die today, I have no reason to be arrogant. I know my skills, and the skills of my companions- we each have our strengths and weaknesses."

"And what are your strengths, Uchiha-san, since you_ obviously_ don't want to reveal your weaknesses?"

He smirked at the obvious- on more than one level- ploy. "Do you think I'm retarded? My strengths are many. So are Naruto's, Sakura's, and Ino's. Weaknesses? I don't really know them all well enough for that. Sorry to disappoint you."  
The woman stood smoothly. "Very well then. I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow, then. Have a good evening, Uchiha-sa-"

But her words were cut off when the wall to Sasuke's left- the wall in the direction Sakura's screaming had been coming from- exploded toward them.

Bound to the chair as he was, it was awkward for Sasuke to escape injury from the flying stonework, but as they'd only bound his arms to the back, not impossible.

His Sharingan activated with hardly a thought, the Uchiha even had time to admire his interrogator's grace and speed as she evaded even the smallest of the debris.  
When the dust settled, Sasuke made out Sakura standing in the center of what used to be a solid stone wall. She was flexing one hand, running the other over her knuckles, which were glowing green-white. "Ow, that hurt a bit more than I expected. It's been a long time since I did that without my gloves. You ready, Sasuke-kun? Naruto's clone just ran by my room and told me it was time to leave and to get you out."

"His... clone?" the blonde woman asked, surprised, but apparently not by having two rooms suddenly become one. "You mean Samui missed the original? Silly girl... I'll have to remind Bee to brush up on his student's training if they got that careless."

Seemingly realizing the older woman was still standing for the first time, Sakura fell into a combat-ready position that seemed familiar to Sasuke, but that he couldn't quite place. "You must be Nii Yugito."

The blonde scowled. "Haruno Sakura. No comments about me being the Nibi's container, then? Either you didn't know, or-"  
"It just doesn't matter to me," the rosette interrupted, "Why should I care? You're a threat either way, maybe a bit more of one, but it's not like I'd take you lightly regardless. You've got control over it, so why should I worry?"

The blonde's head quirked. "You are _not_ what I was lead to believe by Raikage-sama. Neither of you. Very well, come with me. I'll take you to Ei-sama, and we can get this situation straightened out."

It took a moment for the two to relax, but when the older Jonin showed no signs of hostility, despite the ruined wall and unconscious guards- four of them, if Sasuke was seeing straight through the dust- they followed slowly, eyes open for betrayal or other trouble.

(O)(O)(O)

"Hey, Bee!"

The only sound for several seconds was the continued pounding of the distant waterfall and the chirping of birds in the nearby trees.

But after a little while...

"'at don't sound like no-

-Kumo nin I know!"

"It's me, Bee! Come on out quick, we need to talk!"

A few more seconds of silence, and then...

"Foxy-kun, rock-me fuun!  
All my wildest dreams,

ain't nevah gonna... uh... scream?"

Inwardly, Naruto cringed. "Yeah, it's me! Just... please stop talking like that! You know I hate it!"

The door was flung open before he could say anything else, and the young ninja was pulled into a rib-cracking hug by the gigantic brown-skinned jinchuuriki of the eight-tailed Ox.  
"Naruto-san! Gimme yo ha-nd!" Grimacing through the pain, Naruto offered his hand at the older man's urging. He was practically pulled off his feet yet again by the force of the shake.  
"Bee, I need your help."

"What can Kirabi and Hachibi do,

for little ole' you?"

"My friends; Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Yamanaka Ino were captured by Samui's team a couple days ago, and they're having Yugito-nee-chan interrogate them. I'm not really worried for their safety, but if they lose their cool, it could cause problems. So I was wondering if you could talk to your brother and get him to release them? We aren't in Kumo to cause problems. We're scouting, yeah, but just for basic stuff. No need for infiltration."

The older man frowned. "Ei's not gonna like that,

you gutsy little brat."

Naruto nodded, but the older man continued, "Come on inside, I just cut a side, let's eat then ride!"

Cringing, the younger shinobi followed him into the secluded cabin.

(O)(O)(O)

"Come on! What the hell did I even _do_? You're taking me to be questioned by the Raikage 'cause of something my _cousin _did? How's that right?"  
But Ino's pleading appeared to be falling on deaf ears. To make matters worse, while she and her 'escort', now a full eight Jonin-level Kumo ninja, waited for the Raikage's schedule to have a short opening, a much-cut up man that Ino had seen a few days before- dark skinned with short, white hair despite his relative youth- stormed into the waiting room, closely followed by a dark-skinned red-head, and a pale woman with short yellow hair. _Oh crap..._

A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a giant of a man, who towered over even the large Omoi. His white hair- the same shade as Omoi's, along with a similar hard jaw-line and build- was pulled into a few large cornrows. A small goatee and mustache completed the face, though Ino's eyes were immediately drawn not to that, but to the man's sheer musculature. _Holy hell, I don't wanna get hit by this guy! _All other considerations aside- like the fact that his shoulders were three times as broad as her own (not _that_ slender) build, as well as having three feet or more on her height-wise- the man was just _massive_. Even just sliding through the doorway of his office, the Raikage (she saw the gold-trimmed robes, though not the traditional hat), the man exuded power. If the rippling muscles, clearly visible beneath the white robe, since he apparently elected not to wear a shirt, were not indication enough, the obvious respect- tinged with no small amount of fear- the eight Jonin guarding Ino felt toward the giant clinched the deal. _Ei, Raikage of Kumogakure. Older brother of the Eight-Tails, the one Naruto called Kigahen-Kirabi. You're really in for it now, Ino-girl..._  
"You're late," were his first words. He was staring at the younger blonde in the room intently, but the other ninja knew- as did Ino- that he was speaking to the team who had just arrived, one of whom looked rather worse for wear.  
The busty blonde nodded, "My apologies, Raikage-sama. There was a surprise in Yugakure that delayed our return for a few hours. If you would like, I will perform _seppukku_ at once."  
Ino frowned, though she didn't react outwardly in any other way. _Seppukku? I thought only old-school samurai did that? Is Kumo really that backward, or is it just her?_  
"Not necessary," the big man waved one hand, which came perilously close to knocking out of of Ino's guards, though the Raikage apparently didn't notice the other man ducking. "Explain why."  
"Sir," the other white-haired, younger shinobi interrupted, "The Ootori ninja's leader took me by surprise, and-"

"Silence!"  
Ino wanted to reflexively cover her ears at the volume of the shout, which rattled the windows. However, her hands were still bound by chakra-binders, and that was impossible. She was surprised that, a few minutes later, she still couldn't feel blood or other fluid leaking from at least one of her ears.  
"If I wanted your excuses, Omoi, I'd ask you for them. I asked your team leader for a report."

The younger man gulped, nodded, and stepped back with a mumbled apology.  
The tall blonde glared at her subordinate before turning her attention back to their village's Kage. "Raikage-sama. The assault on Yu went largely as expected, but for two key elements. The presence of the Jonin-Oyabun, Hidan, was not as reported by our informants. Apparently, he had left only recently due to an attack by what, to most of Yu, was an unknown force. I believe, largely due to their proximity and injuries, that it was the Ootori themselves. Whether they drove off Hidan or whether he left of his own accord is not known to Yu.  
"The other element actually comes from further away. Oto's forces are massing near Yugakure, in an apparent attempt to take the city completely rather than lay siege as we anticipated. Orochimaru's methods continue to catch us by surprise."

Ino's eyes widened. _Orochimaru? Oto? Is he the leader? Was it really him that stabbed Konoha in the back, and usurped the position of one of the five great ninja villages?_  
"Anything else of note?"

Samui frowned, glaring once more at Omoi, but shook her head. "Not aside from my teammate's ability to worry over nothing and get blindsided by the obvious, no."

The younger white-haired man frowned, but said nothing further, while his red-head teammate smirked.

"Out."  
At once, the three saluted and left.  
"I said _out_," the giant man repeated, glaring this time at each of the Jonin guarding Ino.  
"But sir, this girl is-"

"Do _not_ make me issue that order again, Jonin."

With an audible gulp, the group saluted and hurried from the room, leaving only the gigantic man, Ino, and a young woman that the Yamanaka assumed was the Raikage's secretary.  
"Tea," he said, not looking at the other girl, but she immediately rose and hurried from the room after the others.  
"Come, girl, sit."  
He turned without bothering to watch her comply. Unfortunately, Ino didn't think she had much of a choice. She wasn't sure if Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hiashi, her father, and Uchiha Itachi all together could equal this man's power. If he wanted her to do something... there wasn't much she could do about it. Except maybe... well, he _was_ a man... and she was a Yamanaka. A kunoichi one, at that._ If it comes to that, girl... he's not torturing you yet._

She was slightly surprised by the rather spartan office. She took a moment, all she dared to delay, really, in sitting down in the lone chair before the great desk to exam a few portraits of Raikage past, a painting of Kumogakure, and a man that looked remarkably like a younger Raikage, though this other man wore goggles she couldn't see the (frankly) terrifying Kage wearing.

"Yamanaka Ino, only child of Yamanaka Inoichi, current Clan Head of the former Konoha's Yamanaka Clan, now an independent Clan, but leaning toward renewing membership in Ootorigakure. Your companions are Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, who you claim is your cousin, but to whom your only actual relation is several generations removed- in that both of you are distantly related to the Senju Clan, he in a closer relation than you by three generations. Trained by Jiraiya, family name unknown, of the Densetsu no Sannin. Uchiha Sasuke, younger son of Uchiha Fugaku, raised and trained by the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi, the same Clan Head's older son. Haruno Sakura... no family to speak of, but raised by Senju Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin, grandaughter of your Shodaime Hokage, trained by same. You are the best 'Genin' that Ootori has to offer. Yes or no?"

Surprised by both the new information and the blunt question after it's delivery, Ino didn't even think to answer for several seconds. "Uh... maybe? I mean, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun are damned good... Sakura's pretty good too. I'm not so sure about me. If it wasn't for my Clan jutsu, I don't think I'd be on this team at all."

The Raikage frowned. "You will either address me as Raikage-sama, or Ei-sama, girl."

She spoke before thinking, "It's Ino-san, then, Raikage-sama." Immediately, she regretted it. The man could crush her like a bug, and likely crush Ootori too if she made him mad.  
However, the large man chuckled, and was still doing so when the secretary brought in a tea service before pouring them both a cup. The young woman hesitantly asked if Ino wanted anything, but before she'd said more than a few words, the Raikage's stern "Leave" caused her to do just that in a rush again.  
"Sugar, Honey?"

Ino was taken aback yet again, but found just enough mental discipline to stutter, "H- honey, please. Uh... Raikage-sama."

Smiling in what Ino assumed was _supposed_ to be a friendly way but seemed more like the way she imagined the Kyuubi had been grinning when it sensed her outside it's prison inside Naruto's mind, the man- with surprisingly gentle motions, considering that he could crush the entire pot between two fingers- poured them each a glass, then stirred in the honey for the blonde before sliding the cup toward her. She hesitated.

"It's not poisoned," he said after a sip of his own, "there's no need. You came for information, and that's what you're getting, not killed."

"We- what?"

As if frustrated that he had to explain it again, the man sighed. "Your mission is to gather information. It's nothing sensitive, nothing the other five nations- and probably most or all of the smaller ones- don't know. You could have asked any of them for it, and they'd likely have given it up just to mess with us. Why would be bother killing you over something any civilian that watches ninja move could find out?"

Ino frowned. "I'm... I'm not sure how to respond to that. You're just... going to give it to us? For free? And then let us go?"

"Oh, not for free, no. If you'd have to work to get the information in secret, you'll have to work for us in exchange. When will Ootori be sending their rescue party?"

She was a little surprised that, with all the other highly-accurate and sensitive information he'd displayed on their situation, but didn't know that particular detail. "I think we have... well, it was ten weeks. So... maybe eight left at most to get back?"

The big man nodded with a slight frown. "That's not a lot of time, but it should be enough. Sit tight, girlie, I need to make a call."

The device he picked up looked like a regular telephone- rare tech, but not unheard of- but she couldn't hear anything he said or that was said by the party on the other side, nor did he dial. She tried concentrating on his lips, but for some reason, she couldn't make head nor tails of what he was saying. Eventually, he set the piece back down and resumed talking. "Well, your two 'captured' teammates are being brought up by Yugito now. Your team leader is still hiding- he's pretty good to elude our sensors when they're looking for him- but I have this feeling that he'll be showing up any minute. So keep sittin' there makin' my office look pretty, and we'll see what's what in just a minute."

Ino wasn't sure if she was flattered that the older man- even gentleman, the way he'd acted toward her, at least- thought she made his office nicer to be in, or that she was ugly enough to make his office look better in comparison.

(O)(O)(O)

"So that's the story, Bee. That Hidan guy's powers were crazy weird, but how do you kill a guy that seems invincible, and even worse, whenever you hurt him- or he hurts himself- you get stuck with the injury instead?"

"It's a quandry,

no dirty laundry."

"Anyway... you gonna convince your brother to let us go? We kind of need to get back home sooner or later."

The larger jinchuuriki shrugged. "Bro's been waitin for ya,

"wants be to be trainin' ya."

Naruto frowned. "Ei wants you to train me? But why? It's not like Konoha and Kumo were allies back then. Sure, we _want_ to be, but... why'd he offer that?"

The other man didn't answer verbally. Instead, he set his own teacup aside, and stood. Before Naruto could join him upright, a strange, gray, rubbery-textured tail with suckers as wide as Naruto's face erupted from behind Kirabi. It slapped Naruto sideways out the door of the cabin and into the forest clearing outside.  
"Train now,

let's get down!"

_I'm not sure what's worse, getting the shit kicked out of me, or listening to him explain why..._

**A/N2:** Yes, I'm moving several canon events around in the time-line, but that's okay for a number of reasons. First, remember that Naruto is 18, but was born on the same day- this is all three years later than the start of Shippuden (really, in fanfic time, I would place the current 'date' at somewhere towards the end of the 'three-tails capture arc' in the anime, assuming some downtime between episodes/missions, which I do. To the manga timeline, this is about where Yugito got captured, but obviously that's not happening the canon way... :D)

Secondly, Naruto's been on the move with Ero-sennin for not 2.5 (or so) years, but ten. Wave? Didn't happen- the events proceeded as would be logical without Naruto- or any Konoha team, since Konoha was wiped out. Gatoh won. He owns the country. The survivors were the people living in the tent city (remember, way back at the start with Hiashi?) in northern Hi, on the coast. They're going to be playing a bigger part soon, or I wouldn't mention them at all until later. :) Anyway, Akatsuki couldn't act since Jiraiya's canny enough to keep Naruto hidden if they're moving. Even Zetsu can't track someone _everywhere_, especially not when being summoned/reverse summoned.

Thirdly, but tying in with the 2nd above, while some events have happened without Naruto's influence (Wave), some will be happening later- with or without, as is logical and reasonable for the story. Shion/Demon Country? I like her character, I'm likely putting her in a small arc. It most likely won't even have Naruto in it. But that doesn't mean the events (spurred on by the growing restlessness of the ninja, which is caused largely because people can tell that 'times they are a changin'') are going to go exactly as canon, either.  
Expect similarities- not a whole lot, it's not a retelling- but some. Also expect even the very familiar to be different. Remember your reactions to Sasuke and Hinata in this fic- they are logical based on slightly different upbringings (or drastically different in those two in particular's case), but otherwise similar to canon. I'm doing the same thing with events.

Also... (Fic spoiler alert possible) I'm thinking about Kiba taking Naruto's place in that Shion/Demon arc. Take that for what you will...

….

…

..

"Oh, and Kiba-san... you'll do _anything_ you can to help me rebuild my Clan, right?"

"Of course, Shion-chan! Anything you need, I'll do it!"

Hee hee! I can see the ran reactions now. :D

Edit: This is in response to the (signed but not logged in) review by "BoredRonin": Normally I don't respond to reviews I can't link to (I dislike putting them in the story itself), but this is something I actually need to clear up. So!  
If the above thing about Kiba filling the Naruto spot in the Shion/Demon arc does go through (which is likely, but not certain by any means), it will not end the same way. Kiba is not Naruto, and your (again, BoredRonin's) review is accurate in stating that. I'm not saying they'd end up together (I actually can't imagine that happening, either- at least not yet), and this whole thing just above the current edit in the A/N? That's kind of an Omake that isn't an Omake. It's just there for humor. ;)  
The team I'm 'planning' (though it's not actually planned) for that arc is Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Shizune- so things will/would happen VERY differently than in 'canon'. It's just that, of those four, Kiba is the most brash. However, of them, I would actually think Shika's the one Shion's personality would mesh the best with (though it would be a very down-played relationship)... but that's not happening, 'cause Shika's taken, and there's no way in hell he'd agree to taking multiple 'wives' under my version of the CRA. I mean really, could anything be MORE troublesome? :D

**Glossary: **Just one entry this time.

**Ei:** Yep, Raikage. Kirabi's older brother, said to have chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast himself. Took the horn of the 8-tails when it was being captured, way back when. He's damned tough in canon, and the same in this fic. Honestly, as strong as the Kages are- all of 'em- I'd say he's the strongest of any Kage ever. That includes the kick-ass-itude of both Terumi Mei and Gaara, yes. Even the Flying Thunder God Minato, himself. Minato had tons of speed, but Ei's fast _and_ strong. I think he'd win if it came down to it.

As far as the name goes- "A" is a lame name. "Ei" is pronounced the exact same way, but reads like Japanese. Honestly, I'm not sure why people (even Narutopedia) call him "A". I don't think Kishimoto meant it that way, so I don't write it that way. If he ever comes out and definitively says it's "A", then... I'll likely say "Fanfic. Ei. Done." There's your proof I don't own Naruto, btw. :D


	23. Chapter 23: Deadly trainingBijuu Clash!

**A/N:** Average length chapter, but an update sooner than scheduled. Go me! Enjoy all, no new characters, but we see quite a bit of Bee and Ei. Unfortunately, I have changed the plan regarding Yugito- she will not be training anyone this time, which I told a few reviewers she would be. Sorry... I just had a brain wave, and need her elsewhere for now. On the plus side, next chapter we get to see how Hidan and Kakuzu like it when _she_ ambushes _them_... hint hint.

So subtle, right? :) Enjoy!

**Chap. 23 When Training Turns Deadly! Jinchuuriki Clash!**

Ino was exhausted before noon the next day. As she limped to the nearest shattered log to take a breather- the Raikage had announced "Ten minutes for lunch. Starting now," she had been overjoyed. Now, though, she hadn't even sat down but a full minute of that break was gone. Wincing with pain, she collapsed onto the wood, which, with a groan, sank about two inches lower under her weight. _How did I get into this mess? Why would the Raikage himself want to train _me_, a kunoichi from a different, formerly enemy Village personally? What does he get out of it? He's not even letting me show him Clan techs, he's only teaching me Taijutsu. What the hell is going on?_

Forcing down another wince as Ino reached into one of the hidden pockets in her jacket and pulled out a now-smashed protein bar, before pulling the wrapper open- she couldn't hide the grimace when she pulled with an obviously-broken finger- and poured a mouthful of the granola and fruit mash in and started to chew, working the left side of her jaw with the free hand as she did so to help with the pain there.

_I haven't seen Sasuke or Sakura since Ei's office yesterday, and Naruto still hasn't shown. I guess the Raikage doesn't know everything. But he doesn't seem worried, either. What the hell is going _on_?_

But her answer was not forthcoming. Just as she'd choked down the last of the protein bar and taken a single gulp of lukewarm water from her canteen and stoppered it back up, the Raikage appeared three feet in front of the blonde kunoichi with a crash of thunder.  
She couldn't help it, though the resulting startled scream would haunt her with embarrassment for weeks.

After picking herself up, the Kage gave her a stern look. "No more slacking. My brother sent me a message, he's met up with your Naruto, and their own training is under way. Your team mates are with Samui and Karui. Are you ready to resume?"

Wincing again, Ino wanted desperately to say no, but knew she wasn't really being given a choice. As she stood, though, she decided on a small risk. "Sir, why exactly are you doing this? I can't think of any reason why you should help us out."

Surprisingly, the fierce Kage frowned, but not with anger. It seemed almost tinged with... regret?  
He sighed, then sat down gracefully on the log where Ino had been. It immediately fell flat, depositing the giant on the ground, though he didn't seem to notice. "There was a time when Kumo and Konoha were allies, of a sort. The trouble with the Hyuuga... my father began that, in an effort to help us gain control over the Hachibi and Nibi. While my men have a healthy respect for Konoha, they have not been brought up to do anything for others. We should not be allies, not ever. For ninja, an alliance is rarely worth the paper it is printed on. And yet..."

He trailed off quietly, eyes far distant, leaving Ino to wonder in silence for several minutes. When she shifted, though, the large man's eyes focused on her at once. "And yet, I wonder if perhaps Konoha had the right of it. When the other Hidden Villages were founded, they were largely created in the Leaf's image, except that the ninja of the day a hundred or more years ago could not bring themselves to act with the trust which Madara, Hashirama, and the other founders of Konohagakure no Sato were able to do. Mistrust was rampant, and it was several generations before even the most forward-thinking of the Hidden Villages outside of Konoha were able to even trust themselves, before any kind of real patriotism developed."

Ino nodded. It made sense, given what she knew of history. But...

"However," the Kage continued, "I have recently started to wonder if perhaps Konoha's founding fathers were right. It was the first ninja village, and until recent years, it was always the strongest. It took a true monster to weaken it enough for _four_ of the Great Nations and three smaller, all at once, to bring down. Their strength was proven even in defeat. At first, when I gained the position of Raikage from my father, I agreed with his principals. Personal strength mattered over all. Below that, the strength of comrades. Not friendship, per se, but the trust of those who go into battle together. Nakama. My brother... Bee is not my friend, but he is my brother, and my Nakama. None of my Jonin are my friends... but they are my Nakama. That is any Kage's place, as far as I believe. Only the Hokage believed differently. Friendship mattered more than Nakama, more than personal strength. All four Hokage believed that only when one fought for others did one become truly strong."

Ino nodded again, not following as easily, but still with it. She wasn't sure how to ask the question she had, though, or even if she dared to do so.  
"But a few years ago, a scrawny blonde boy with whiskers shook my world view to the core with a simple gesture. He saw a young woman, beaten bloody by the Kumo civilians with the help of a few ninja. She was cursed, outcast, a pariah even amongst those who knew she could not harm them. This young boy literally drug her, cursing and screaming and clawing to draw blood from his face, from the gutter. He dragged her nearly a mile as I watched, surprised, from my tower. About half way there, the girl gave up fighting, as if she was resigned to her fate of death. And yet, two hours later, the young woman left the small hotel where she had been dragged, laughing alongside the same blonde boy. Laughing as if she had not just been beaten to within an inch of her life, though she still bore the marks. For the first time, I saw Nii Yugito _happy_. A tool, a mere weapon of our village, was _happy_. Showing emotion. While I knew that my brother, another jinchuuriki, could feel... a portion of me always wondered if it was him, or the beast within him forcing it out to lull us into a false sense of security. But this laughter in Yugito's eyes was real. I will swear by that until my dying day. This little boy... he had taken her into his heart, and shown her a new path. That day, a low-ranking Genin who had no outstanding potential aside from her burdern, blossomed into an outstanding kunoichi, simply because she was shown a new way. I have been trying to change Kumo, little by little, ever since."

Ino let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and sunk to the torn-up earth. "Naruto did that?"

The giant man nodded. "I see you understand a little. Most of my village thinks that I am softer than my father, who was a hard man. Yet... no one dares challenge me for the post of Raikage. Not even Bee, as powerful as Hachibi has made him, can stop me. So my wishes are slowly but surely taking root in our Village, and that has given me hope. Even more than the fact that, with Bee helping out Yugito as well, the villagers eventually stopped their harassment of the pair completely. They are honored among us, now, where before they were feared and scorned. And now Kumo has no need to coerce our Jinchuuriki to fight for us. They do it willingly, because they have people they want to protect, and so not only do the fight, they fight all the harder."

Ino nodded again, wiping a lone tear away before the harsh Kage could see it (she hoped).  
With another sigh, the Kage's eyes returned to a far-away place for a moment, then back to stare into the depths of the blonde's soul. "We are helping you because we want to. Because we cannot stand alone against what is coming. We need Ootori, much as you need us."

"But why me? Why am I learning your Taijutsu when it doesn't suit my body type or personal style?"

The big man shrugged. "What difference does body style make? The Crashing Thunder Style doesn't take strength, it takes speed and the proper application of leverage. I am a large man, but you can throw me if I am taken by surprise. Come, I will not resist. Show me the first move I showed you."

Ino was hesitant, but she was a kunoichi. She would not back down. Placing herself in the big man's wide-open stance, she took two nervous steps toward his neutral stance, then lunged forward, rolling her hip into his knee- the highest point she could reach- and attempted to drag him over her hip onto the ground.

There was a loud crack, and then she was buried under a mountain of flesh as her leg collapsed beneath her.  
Distantly, she was aware of the big man picking himself off her her as she tried to catch the breath that had been forced from her lungs, "Hmm. It seems strength is slightly necessary. We will work on that, but the theory is sound. A smaller man would not have shattered your leg, and your technique was decent for half a day's work. You will be able to learn once our medics have you patched up, Yamanaka-san."

Somehow, his faith in her didn't do much to dull the pain she knew was coming.

(O)(O)(O)

For two weeks, Sasuke and Sakura had been run ragged by Karui and Samui, the two kunoichi trading between the two Ootori ninja for both Kenjutsu- swordsmanship- and ninjutsu training. Samui was a lightning-type, which allowed her to teach Sasuke several of the more common Lightning-release jutsu of Kumo, while Karui, despite her loud personality and voice, was subtle enough in thought to be able to work with Sakura in Genjutsu, again teaching her fairly common but useful moves. The both together, often working with Omoi as a practice partner, had selected blades for them both and did their best to make sure they were proficient in them.

For Sasuke, Samui had selected a long chokuto, a straight-edged, single-bladed sword with little or no hilt, while for Sakura, the blonde kunoichi had chosen a rather broad scimitar which most would require the use of two hands to wield. However, the lithe and muscle-enhanced kunoichi had immediately asked for another, to which the buxom blonde had smirked but complied. The next day, there were two falchions for Sakura's use. While she had taken the first day to work from sunup to sundown on basic techniques, the girl proved her intelligence and ability to learn, because by the next day, she was able to use both weapons with one hand with a grace and balance that Sasuke truthfully envied. While the medic's kenjutsu was no where near on par with the team from Kumo, he also admitted that while the Sharingan- which the team had reluctantly allowed him to use _only_ for the purpose of learning forms, and only on them- had helped immensely, in a match of sheer kenjutsu, Sakura would almost certainly win simply because of the dual-weapon style. She was a dervish of razors, while he relied on swift, accurate strikes. In the time he set up, she would have taken him apart. _Without the Sharinga, anyway. That's a damned powerful equalizer, all things considered._  
The medic, for her part, knew all of this, and was glad. Not that she was better, or was able to use the heavy, curved broadswords single-handedly in a pair, but that Sasuke was acknowledging her skill without anger or jealousy, which he frequently displayed toward Naruto's skill and power. _If only I knew exactly why he was so upset by all of that, anyway... or why we're here being trained by Kumo in Kumo techniques, when they _know_ Tsunade-sama is going to send a rescue party soon if we aren't allowed to leave peacefully. Either they aren't worried, or..._

But Sakura had not seen Ei, and when questioning the others as to why they were being trained, Samui had told them flatly not to ask questions not related to what they were being taught.

With a sigh, both Sasuke and Sakura took a deep breath and stood from their break to resume their spars against Karui and Omoi.  
Under his breath, Sasuke muttered, "Want to trade opponents? I'm tired of losing to a girl fifteen centimeters shorter and twenty kilos lighter."

Sakura snickered, but shook her head. She'd been beaten on by Karui often enough to know that, despite the gruff front, Samui pulled her hits a bit more. "No thanks, I'll leave her to you, tough guy."

Sasuke's answering groan made Sakura laugh even harder.

(O)(O)(O)

For the first time in at least five years, Naruto was close to tears. Not from happiness, or joy, but from pain, anger, and frustration. With an unhealthy level of terror thrown in for good measure.  
"I- I just can't _do_ it, Bee! The Kyuubi's so much stronger than Hachibi, every time I draw on even a tiny amount of Chakra... the things I see and feel... I feel like I'm going mad!"

The larger man plopped himself next to the upset young blonde and casually laid back on the burnt grass to stare up into the clouds that hung low over his domicile. "Takes some clout, no doubt about, but you can win, ya slick little … uh... Well, you know what I mean, Mr. Super Green!"

_That's it, the final straw... I... I... I'm gonna kill him!_

Naruto, five weeks into his training with Kirabi in controlling- or better yet, subjugating- his literal Inner Demon had reached the breaking point. "Stop _rhyming_, you idiot! You suck at it! You're even worse than the Kyuubi's mental torture! I don't even know _why_ my clone told Ino-chan you were my friend! I can't stand your idiotic 'rap'!"

The young blonde tried to jump up and pummel the prone older man into quiet, but he was still fully in the air when an explosion of power and speed from the other man threw him several feet back. But instead of impacting painfully against the large, broken rocks (largely due to his and Bee's training) that litered the mountain lake near the cabin, he was caught and constricted painfully by two gray, rubbery tentacles with suckers as wide as his face. Suddenly cowed into a semblance of calm, Naruto's eyes met the container of the second-most-powerful Bijuu, and nearly wet his pants.  
Bee's normally kind eyes (if you could catch him without his 'stylin' shades') were furious, his expression hard, every muscle in his large body stood out in sharp outline in the fading sunlight of dusk. "Gaki, you really gone an' hurt me. I don't come down on you none for likin' your ramen, do I? You don't come down on me for rap. Fair's fair, ain't no doubt about it. As for friends... you don't wanna be my friend any more, that's fine. But I got order's from bro-sama to do what I'd do anyway, and you're _not_ get'n outta this training. No way, no how."

Naruto began to struggle for a minute, but he knew that, even unleashing two or three tails- the most he could manage safely even using all his willpower to maintain the slightest control- he would have no chance against Bee. Kyuubi may have been stronger than Hachibi by a power of ten, which according to Jiraiya was standard with each tail, making the Nibi ten times stronger than the Ichibi, the Sanbi ten times power powerful than Nibi, and so on, but the fact of the matter was, Kyuubi fought Naruto for every ounce of his power used, while, however he'd done it, Bee had effectively merged the eight-tailed Bijuu with his own soul, and the two fought as one. While he'd heard both speak from Bee's mouth, he knew that, most times, they even _thought_ as one being. But the thought of doing so with Kyuubi was absolutely abhorrent. The creature was _evil_, and Naruto had no desire at all to become one with it. So the young shinobi was rather stuck.  
"Bee..." he said softly, his voice quavering with fear at the path ahead, "I can't merge with the Kyubi. I won't. No matter what. Honestly, I'd let the world burn before I let that thing touch my soul willingly."

The Kumo nin nodded solemnly, then his tails moved to set the other man down before taking a few steps forward. "Naruto, I felt the same way. Hachibi's not the Kyuubi, but _all_ of the Tailed Beasts are evil, pure and simple. Sanbi may be lazy, but he still revels in destruction, and he's widely considered the most peaceful of the Bijuu. Ox... well, he's a bit on the crazy side, but he was as bad as bad can be until we merged. Now, since I have the stronger will, he takes more of my personality than I do of his."  
"But I'm not stronger than Kyuubi, so that doesn't help me, Bee."

Nodding, the other man clapped the shorter one on the back, then wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulders and led him toward the cabin again to rest. "Hm, maybe. But think of it this way... for almost eighteen years, you've kept that monster behind the seal, even though I can practically hear him begging and crying to get out. No matter how hard he tries, you aren't letting him free, are you?"  
Naruto shook his head vehemently.

"So you've got the will."

Reluctantly acknowledging that Bee _might_ be right in judging his character, the blonde nodded. "But still... if I even take a small portion of Kyuubi's personality, who knows what it'd do to me? I don't want to be a bad guy, Bee. I _like_ being a hero."

The big man snorted. "No man I've ever met who calls _himself_ a hero really is one... 'cept maybe you. But I'm not trainin' you to merge with Kyuubi until you're ready. 's not what bro-sama wanted me to do with you anyway. We heard a rumor from your little adventure in Tanzuku, see. The aftermath of that. You confirmed it earlier. Mental torture."

At once, Naruto clammed up, but the larger man knew it was coming and was prepared with cold, hard logic.

"'s nothin' to be ashamed of, kid. He's strong, he's lived for millenia, if not longer. He knows ways to get out, if he can break you, I'm sure. So he's gonna try and try and try 'till he can do it. But what're you gonna do? You know sooner or later, no matter how strong you are, you'll break and he'll be free. And everyone you know and care about will die."

Glumly, Naruto stepped through the door into the dim cabin and took a seat- one of only two- at the small, rough table in the middle. "Yeah, I know. That's... that's why I worry so much."

Bee nodded again, spinning his own chair around to sit on it backwards and crossed his arms on the back, which creaked under the weight. "You don't have to worry too much about the Kyuubi. It's pretty small-fry, to be honest."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, but before he could ask, Bee explained. "There's a group... we don't know what they're called for sure, but they're hunting Jinchuuriki and Bijuu. The Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura? He was their first capture. The new Mizukage's some hottie named Terumi Mei, and she's trying to stop the civil war and bloodline purges, since she has two herself. Anyway... these guys, they're really bad news. I don't know if Yugito-sweetie could stop a pair of 'em. One might be too much. I don't think I could stop more than two, and I kick ass. You? You don't stand a chance as you are."

Naruto scowled, "Hey, I'm not _that_ weak!"

The older jinchuuriki frowned, shaking his head, "No, you're damned strong for a kid your age. But these are S- or SS-class ninja that always travel in pairs that work well together. It only took one of them to bring down Yagura, and he was a Jinchuuriki too, if you didn't know. We don't know what he did to let Sanbi escape, but the guys at least failed to capture that. Their real goal, as far as we can tell, is capturing the Bijuu. We don't know what they want 'em for, but it's not good. So you need to be prepared. That's why we're helping you guys. You, to make you stronger, and your friends, so they can help protect you. You have the strongest Bijuu, and if they catch you, it's over for the rest of us."

Naruto paled, his earlier terror about the Kyuubi taking over washed away beneath the tide of new fear. "They... why would they want all the Bijuu? They could ruin the entire world with that kind of power!"

Bee nodded. "Bro thinks so, too. I never seen him so worried, not even when he and pops had to help me subjugate the Hachibi when he broke out. That's when pops bought it, when I was nine."

Naruto nodded dumbly. That matter, while heart-wrenching, was nothing compared to the images of Kyuubi's attacks on Konoha multiplied by _every_ Bijuu, spread all over the world.

Before he knew it, his breathing was rapid, his vision reduced to a tiny, dim circle as a full-blown panic attack set in.

However...

"Hold on there, kid," a deep, calm voice said as a beefy brown hand was set on his shoulder, "No need to flip just yet. We have a plan."

Naruto shook his head, took several deep breaths, and looked up over his shoulder to see Omoi, who only then nodded a greeting at his old sensei.  
"There's plenty to worry about," the newcomer said, "but Bee's tough and smart, and he can help you. Yugito, Samui, and Karui are helping your friends, and Raikage-sama himself is training that total babe blonde on your team in Taijutsu. We don't _know_ if it'll be enough to protect you guys, but it's a good start, at least."

Naruto shook his head, relieved beyond belief that at least one of the five great nations actually seemed to care what happened to the world. "But... how will I know these guys? I can't treat everyone that attacks me like an S-ranked ninja, or I'll be exhausted and paranoid within weeks."

Bee nodded, rumbling out, "We don't know all the members, but we know two. Used to know another, but he quit. Caused a lot of bad blood, from what we hear. Your friend Hidan, the crazy cult dude in Yu? He's a member. That's how strong they are, why we need to train you up. Yugito-sweetie too, once we're done with you."

Eyes wide, Naruto whispered, "And I... I fought him! I almost let him catch me! He _did_ catch me, but Sakura-chan was able to save me... I almost..."

"Don't worry about it," Bee said again, "you almost, but you _didn't_. You have another chance to make it right, to get stronger. Anyway...

"The leader of Yu is one of them. So is the leader of Taki, a man named Kakuzu. Both of them are rumored to be literally immortal, and Kakuzu... I actually believe it for him, 'cause my pops and grandpop both fought him when they were younger, a _lot_ younger in grandpop's case. Looks the same, talks the same, smells the same, fights the same. Same guy. The one who quite? He's the leader of Otogakure, Orochimaru."

Naruto went pale once again.  
"Orochi... Orochimaru..."

Omoi and Bee both nodded in silence.

After a moment, though, Naruto jumped up from the chair, a determined expression on his face. "Right! On to training again! What's next, Bee?"

The older container grinned almost menacingly, "Well, next we take a little trip into your head. We're gonna... _renegotiate_... your little deal with Kyuubi. Let's go see your Yamanaka friend."

It wasn't until they were already in front of Ino, with her hands on both's foreheads, that Naruto realized Bee was just about to see a fully-naked Ino. He didn't understand the sudden spike of jealousy, but he knew exactly what it was.

(O)(O)(O)

Because of his sudden fears, the first thing Naruto did when he realized they were in his mind was move to block Ino from the larger man's sight as much as possible. Fortunately, the big man seemed more interested in looking around the deep forest than ogling the kunoichi, who was also doing her best to hide behind Naruto. Unfortunately, though, she was doing so by the simple expedient of pressing herself up against him. While a pleasant enough sensation, the blonde shinobi was having a hard time from 'showing his appreciation', something he would have been deathly embarrassed about for Ino to see (despite their discussion when he had been laid up in the cave), much less the older man.  
"This way," he mentioned after a few uncomfortable seconds, gesturing for Bee to take the lead down a path that suddenly grew from the undergrowth without a sound.

Several minutes later, Ino shuddered against Naruto, causing a certain amount of blood flow to head south. Quelling the urge to actually _show_ the pretty girl what she was causing, Naruto froze instead. "That's where he is," Naruto informed Bee with a gesture at the huge thicket, and now understanding why Ino was quivering. "Ino-chan, you might want to stay out here. He'll probably... do that thing to you again, if he can."

The kunoichi nodded, taking advantage of Bee's attention being drawn to the small tunnel to flit behind a tree, hiding herself from his view. "Go on," Naruto gestured again, not looking forward to watching the big man's hind end as they entered and left the tunnel. At least in the middle it would be blessedly dark... But he wasn't going to show Bee his half-aroused state, either. That was a one-way ticket to Mocksville, Population: Naruto.

However, the big man instead grabbed several branches in each arm and flexed, proceeding to bull his way through the barrier without crouching. It didn't escape his notice that, despite being a mental construct, Bee somehow escaped injury from a defense that had hurt _him_ when he slipped up and touched one of the thorns.  
But he was more shocked by the fact that Bee was strong enough to essentially walk right through it, though it was slow going.

A few minutes later- perhaps fifteen- they entered the blasted, warped clearing where the Kyuubi was bound by the vines and roots, with the single tag bearing the word "Seal" holding the mass together. Naruto, as always, had to work desperately to repress his shudder when he spotted the living nightmare of his childhood- and adulthood.

"**So, you return again, Worm! And you bring the pathetic excuse for a demon, Hachibi, back, do you? The tender morsel, as well! You must be here to beg for my forgiveness, with bribery no less! And I thought you could sink no lower!"**

Naruto was about to retort, when Bee put out a hand to single silence. His own voice was calm but powerful, tinged with Hachibi's strength. "You are bound, Kyuubi. Even if you have ten times' our strength, you cannot defeat us like this. Though he knows it not, even Naruto can destroy you with a thought. We are here to alter your deal."

The blonde didn't even register the other man's words, once he heard the roar of anger and fury the Kyuubi unleashed. With several loud snaps, a few of the vines and roots holding the beast down were shredded, giving the Nine-Tails more freedom than it had ever had since it had been sealed within Naruto. It lunged forward at Bee, but was swatted aside by Naruto, his body apparently being immolated by red chakra identical to that of the Kyuubi's itself. "You don't get to touch my friends, monster. New deal. You give me all the chakra I need, whenever I ask, without trying to influence me in any way... or you die, simple as that."

The fox snorted, making another swipe that took Naruto by surprise.

Half a heartbeat later, the two Jinchuuriki and subjugated Bijuu were in a full-on battle against the strongest Bijuu, who seemed quite capable of holding his own even barely able to move, and with his chakra constantly being siphoned off by the Yondaime Hokage's seal.

**A/N2:** To confirm a few things: Yep, Kakuzu, much like his partner, left Taki (Waterfall) and then came back and took over. Orochimaru did indeed found Otogakure, essentially just like in canon- he was a member of Akatsuki quite a while ago, but since he and Sasori are _also_ essentially ageless, neither have exactly forgotten it. Oto was founded while he was a member, but after he'd decided to leave- he wanted Itachi's Sharingan the whole time, of course, but Oto was meant to be his base after he left.  
Also, to remind people: Oto _is_ one of the 'five great nations' in this fic, because Konoha/Hi no Kuni are not. They were all-but wiped out, and the strongest minor nation- Oto- took their place. They have continually earned that right by fighting off Kumo and Iwa, while at the same time, absorbing much of Taki, Yu, Frost, and even Kusa- and a good portion of Hi no Kuni. Yes, that means Oto is a much larger village than in canon, but hey- it's AU, and logically, would have grown without having to hide from and compete with Konoha all the time. As it stands, Orochimaru's only _real_ enemies are Akatsuki, so he feels a lot safer, even though he knows at least half of Akatsuki could kick his ass. (Itachi is proven, Pein obviously, Hidan and Kakuzu could at the very least give him a run for his money, and Sasori is likely one he actually worries about. Deidara, Konan, Zetsu, I think he considers less a threat. Probably doesn't know who 'Tobi' is, yet.

Anyway, all, since you're _so_ happy to have such an awesome chapter less than two weeks from the last post- show me how much you appreciate it! _Review_ please!

Glossary: No entries this time.


	24. Chapter 24: The Best Laid Plans

A/N: So, it's been a while. Sorry. I've been 'really' sick. Flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia- one after the other. Probably all related, though I couldn't prove it. On the upside, I'm mostly better now, just hacking up phlegm. Feel fine. So! Update for you!  
I'll 'likely' be updating this again soon, but no guarantees. I need to work on my other Naruto fic (LB:2) and have the urge to work on my Bleach collection of shorts as well. We'll see. For what it's worth, this is a mostly action chapter. The vast majority deals with Yugito, Kakuzu, and Hidan. I hope it's better than the anime and/or manga. I don't remember the manga's, but the show left me... wanting. Big time.  
This one's an actual fight. :) Without further ado...

[**Edit:** I tried to upload this several times on 3/23/11 at about 10:00PM MST. Fanfic(dot)net let me upload, but is not letting me add the chapter to the story. So it's not my fault after that. Sorry again, though. I wish I could put it up.]\

[**Edit again:** Thanks to Kiiam for letting me know about the workaround to posting! You get this chapter now 'cause of him. :) ]

**Chap. 24 The best laid plans...**

She watched her prey carefully for two hours longer than she'd deemed the minimum necessary, and believed she had analyzed their likely attack patterns flawlessly.

While a normal human might have been sorely mistaken, Nii Yugito was hardly normal. Because of the influence of the two-tailed demon cat inside of her, the Kumo Jonin was able to smell and hear many times better than an average human. And her eyes... geared fully toward operating in low-light conditions, she could actually see much better at night than most humans could during the day. Yugito almost purred at the thought of how much better she had it over almost everyone she knew. At least now.

Years ago, before Naruto, and then Bee and Ei, the girl had known nothing but pain and despair. But she had companionship, friends, _peers_. Not only because of them. She was enough an adult woman to understand that much of her current happiness, while it was perhaps sparked by her earliest friendships, were in fact more the result of her own hard work to _make_ her current happiness the way of things.

Too many Jinchuuriki had fallen by the wayside at best, or become ravening lunatics at worst. She did not want that to happen, and was glad she appeared to have been spared that fate.

All it took was a little love, even just that of a much younger boy showing her young teen self what courage and sacrifice meant.  
To her, on that day, the word 'Jinchuuriki' took on an entirely different meaning, one that had almost nothing to do with the beasts sealed inside them.

The Power of Human Sacrifice.

One being, one _little boy_, in her case, willing to sacrifice themselves for another. That...

That was a power she was proud to call her own.

So, while most of 'her kind' cursed their fates as containers of the Bijuu, she, like Bee, had embraced it. After all, their every day protected their village from threats both internal and external, simply by existing.

They were constantly being sacrificed- and willingly- for the benefit of their families, friends, loved ones, nakama, and even enemies who happened to share the same loyalties.

Was that not the purpose of a ninja?

How, then, was being a Jinchuuriki _not_ something worth being?

There, movement in the shadows.

They were coming.

Honed muscles flexed as instinct began to take over.

The strange, red-on-green eyes of the usurper, leader of Takigakure, Kakuzu.

His 'enemy' who was probably the closest thing he had to a friend, or at least an equal, the possibly-ousted leader of Yugakure, Hidan.

They were still talking quietly and casually to each other. They hadn't noticed her.

One swift strike on each would be sufficient.

Oh, it wouldn't be as easy as all that, of course. Yugito was no fool, and her senses had warned her- in every way they could- that these two were not simple field mice to toy with and feast upon at leisure.

No, they were predators of the same class as she. Hunter-killers, and, judging by the smell of old blood that shadowed the pair constantly, very good ones.

But her observations had given her much more to work with than that.

Kakuzu carried not one, or even two like she had, but _five_ Chakra signatures. On top of that, he was dead in every way that mattered. Her hearing detected no heartbeat, her nose the smell of slow decay and rot. Combined, her heightened senses, acting with a synergy no human could duplicate, were even able to register the near-lack of electrical impulse in his brain. Just enough to gather and interpret sensory data, and shunt it... somewhere else. He was obviously dead, yet he moved. And with that much power and all five elements at his disposal, he would be a difficult foe if she knew nothing else about him.

Yet, his stitching...

It had only been a glimpse of a cast shadow, but she had seen what had, at first, appeared to be stitching holding his skin together jump out and impale an impertinent Taki shinobi. After he had left, Yugito had investigated, and found the corpse shriveled and desiccated, mummified in mere minutes. Another threat, and one of unknown quantity.

As far as Hidan went...

Yugito had no illusions. She had read and heard first-hand the report Naruto had given the Raikage about his strange ability. She would simply have to prevent him from hitting her, from drawing blood. If she failed at that, she had to keep him from tasting it. If she was able to do that, she would win.

Had she been a regular shinobi, Yugito would have been totally screwed.

Go up against two immortal shinobi with awesome and terrifying abilities? Suicide.

But she had her mission, and she did have abilities of her own.

Two fingers twitched on her right hand, and the building her enemies were closest to began to collapse without a sound, the seals she had placed earlier having their desired effect.

The tall, purple-haired individual was caught completely by surprise, and buried. _He's taken out, at least for now. No one can burst out of a building on top of them, immortal or not._

Kakuzu, though, had, somehow, been alerted and jumped out of the way at the last moment. He landed heavily on top of the pile of rubble, motionless aside from his flickering eyes.

Apparently, they weren't any better than your average human's in the dark.

"Looking for me?"

Kakuzu whirled just in time to take a fist, blazing with bright blue flames, to the face.

He rocketed away, clearing the pile of rubble by several meters before he was able to right himself in a low crouch, with one hand on the ground. The strange, red-green eyes glared at the woman who was no longer there.

"Look harder!" the voice called from above.  
Kakuzu immediately moved two meters to the left while looking straight at where the voice had come from.

Nothing.

No attack, no opponent.

On instinct, he jumped forward the same distance again only moments before the ground beneath him exploded upwards, super-heated cobbles and steam from underground pipes geysering into the air. His opponent decided to show herself again, at a distance of perhaps ten feet. Far enough out of melee range, but close enough that ranged attacks would be difficult to dodge. _Fair enough, I suppose,_ the ninja thought, _a decent tactician, then. She was able to remove Hidan from the fight in the first blow, and has had me on the defensive since. Smart enough to cover her bases, but stay on the offense. It's a shame we'll have to kill her extracting the Bijuu._

"Welcome to Takigakure, Nii Yugito."

She paused for a moment, betraying her surprise, though it didn't show on the young woman's face. "How do you know me? I am not in any Bingo Books as far as I'm aware, and your underground organization is unlikely to dare challenging me for other reasons."

Kakuzu smiled at her likely unwitting error. "I know you because it is my business to know. You are, after all, one of my targets."

Yugito's eyes narrowed, before the ground beneath Kakuzu exploded again, "Targets? Why are you after me? Who are the others?"

Now the mercenary laughed out loud, a horrifying sound that made the people in the village lock and bar their doors, for all the good it would do. "It doesn't matter, Nii Yugito. There are eight others, besides yourself. We already have five. Only you, your 'rapper' friend, the Uzumaki boy, and Sabaku no Gaara remain. What difference does it make for you to know? Just know that you can't win. In fact, you've already lost."  
The leader of Taki was interrupted by the ground beneath him exploding for a third time.

Yugito snarled, eyes roaming the shadows and darkness of the late-night Taki streets for her enemy. The explosion she'd hoped would kill him had only served to give him a chance to disappear into the night. Still, her senses in the darkness were second to none, no matter how good a shinobi this man-creature was. _And... there he is. Sixteen meters south-due-southwest, on top of that three-story building. He still doesn't breath often, only right before a jutsu. No heartbeat. But he just inhaled- _shit! The roaring gale, rotating with tornado speeds but smaller than any naturally occurring storm, cut into the street, digging a six-meter wide and three-deep hole before the energy dissipated.  
A meter away from the edge, Yugito calmly wiped a sliver of blood from her cheek where a rogue stone had struck her. She stuck the finger in her mouth and withdrew it slowly. "That's it," she almost purred, "my turn again. Time for the kitty to come out and play."

Kakuzu, still concealed by the parapet of the building on the other corner, visibly paled. _I'm not sure I can handle the Nibi's raw power without Hidan to back me up. Not that I'm weak, but it _is_ a Bijuu. Still, If he's out for the count, I guess I don't have a choice, do I? Besides, just think of the bounty I'll get on her after we finish extracting the Bijuu!_

Below, a sheath of blue flames had enveloped the woman, who was now on the street on all fours, back arched high as she glared up with slitted eyes at the corner where Kakuzu crouched. With a snarl, the blue-flame tail, the only one she was confident in her ability to control, surged forward. At the top of it's swing, the incandescent plasma it was holding left the tail to hurtle toward the corner.  
When the smoke cleared, half of the building was gone, but there was no sign of Kakuzu, only the screams of a wounded man. Casually, the blonde looked at him. His torso was wearing the vest of a Taki Chunin. His hair, brown. Eyes, bloodshot and panicked, staring at her even as he screamed. It was impossible to tell his exact height, his legs had been vaporized from the waist down. The human part of Yugito frowned internally. He would have a slow death as he bled out, but there was no saving him now. Honestly, it was probably only the head of Nibi's flames that had cauterized the wound sufficiently to keep his blood pressure up enough to prevent immediate death.  
The cat, though, the cat was happy that one less rodent would survive the night.

"It seems I'll have to go all out," the grating voice called from the opposite side of the street. Yugito-Nibi whirled around to stare upwards at the second-story rooftop where Kakuzu stood, cloak open and flapping in the wind of the inferno behind her, arms spread. She could now see the masks, five of them, adorning his torso. "Congratulations, Nii Yugito. No one outside of Akatsuki has seen all of my masks in more than a hundred years, not since Uchiha Madara himself. You, though, have earned the right through your sheer power, to say nothing of your intelligence and planning in separating me from my partner. Any last words?"

There was a thrumming roar that made the surrounding civilians still nearby quake in fear, and many of the ninja were struck with the urge to flee far and fast. No lion had ever roared with such primal ferocity.

But Kakuzu only gave a confident smile as four large, monstrous shapes sprouted in seconds from his torso, each bearing one of the masks for it's face.

Nibi-Yugito snarled and immediately leapt to the offensive again, recognizing the chakra signatures of each monster both as Kakuzu's own, and something else entirely, as if they were the avatars of the elements themselves.

Yugito-Nibi, the barely-dominant woman, was still confident, but much less so than before. _At least that explains why he has five natures. Five hearts, minds, and souls taken from the fallen to replace his own..._

Ten minutes of chaos later, Yugito coughed blood as she collapsed to her knees in the ruins of Taki. The majority of the once-thriving city was gone in a raging inferno of flames, shattered by earthquakes, and torn asunder by raging winds. There had even been a small-scale flood that the water-heart had ripped from the lake and river, even more so from the waterfall that gave Taki it's name. That had been the slowest attack coming, and the one that had quelled the Nibi's flames just long enough for her doom to strike.  
It hadn't been from Kakuzu, though. No, Yugito's strength seemed to be quite well matched to Kakuzu's five hearts, she had battled each of them to a standstill, though she could strike no final blow herself.  
It had been Hidan.  
The fight had gone on long enough for the psychotic death-priest to claw his way, one-handed and one-legged, missing half of his head, from the rubble. She had been so busy, she hadn't even noticed as he began to draw runes with his own blood on the street.

The first time he had stabbed himself in the leg, she had noticed.

As she whirled to face him, Kakuzu's body fell.  
She never saw it crumble away, revealing a totally different, dried, dessicated husk of a man that was clearly _not_ Kakuzu.  
Instead, she was watching the visibly-regenerating Hidan as his scythe raised to point toward his own heart as the white-on-black-skinned man grinned maniacally. "So, little kitty, you finally understand. At least, you think you do."

He grinned at her pain, sliding the point across his bare chest. She whimpered as a line of blood appeared across her chest, staining her unmarred clothing. "Yes, you know you've lost. Even as fast as you are with your cat-demon reflexes, you can't close before I finish you. Still, you did pretty good. I thought there was no way you'd take down Kakuzu, so I took my time. Guess he wasn't as invincible as the thought. Bastard."

Yugito coughed blood again. "Your partner... you hate him? Why do you work with him, then?"

"Orders. He can't kill me, I can't seem to kill him. We've killed all our other partners. So we got stuck with each other when our leader got sick of it."

"Your leader... who is that?"

Hidan shrugged, "I don't know his name. Why does it matter? You're going to be in a cell when you next wake up, and will be until we extract the Nibi from you. Then you'll die."

The kunoichi scowled, "How did you even get my blood?"

The lavender-haired man gave the first genuine smile she'd seen on him. "Oh, it was pure luck. That wind-blast Kakuzu did knocked that rock that hit your cheek in my direction. I could smell it when I got out, so it was easy enough. Still fresh, even. Anyway... I'm tired of playing with you, and Jashin-sama is satisfied with the slaughter of Taki you guys just performed, so I'm not waiting any more."

"Sto-"  
But Yugito's windpipe was crushed when the tall man slammed his scythe-butt into his own throat. Body still ready for battle, it was less than a minute before her oxygen-starved muscles pulled her into unconsciousness.

"Well," Kakuzu rasped, pulling his disparate parts together as Hidan's skin resumed it's normal color, "I really underestimated the Nibi. Forty percent was almost exactly enough to tie her. Fifty would have guaranteed victory, but thirty-nine would've been my loss."

Hidan smiled at his partner as he slung the woman over his whole shoulder, "Yeah. This body's working at around thirty percent, but it's not dead yet. I think I'll just kill it later, it'd be faster to make another one than to regrow two limbs. You wanna carry her while I do that? I'm not up to hopping all the way back to the base."

"Weakling," the larger man growled, but one hand slithered out on a few strands of black thread and grabbed her by the collar, throwing Yugito over his shoulder instead. "If they aren't crushed, I can just sew them back together."  
Hidan shrugged, "Nah. My real body's only an hour or so away. You need to pack up a few things before we leave this dump anyway, right?"

The undead ninja froze for a moment, then nodded. "I'll meet you on the road, then," before stomping off toward the waterfall. Behind him, Hidan's body suddenly went still and then fell limply to the ground, slowly reverting to it's own original form, that of a young woman no older than fifteen.

In the space of an hour, Taki had suffered more damage than four great ninja wars had ever inflicted on the village. It would never recover.

(O)(O)(O)

"We have a problem."

All eyes moved to the speaker. Not just because of his size, or the power he exuded, but because everyone in the room had learned, over the course of the seven weeks they'd been in Kumogakure, to respect him as a leader and a man. "What is it, Raikage-sama?"

Ino, who despite Naruto's grumbling protests had become the de facto spokesperson for the Ootori ninja due to her frequent proximity to the Kage, was the first to speak up. That fact was not missed among the others present, but Ei thought the matter quite amusing. This slip of a girl who weighed under a quarter his weight- and that he'd spent the last seven weeks beating up on- had the balls to speak up without hesitation, but his own senior Jonin did not.

"Yugito was due back yesterday, but has not reported in even at the border. Worse, Takigakure is gone."

There were collective gasps, but Naruto frowned in silence for a moment, before asking, arms folded, "Isn't that a good thing? Taki's controlled by that Kakuzu guy, Hidan's partner, right?"  
Ei nodded, "It was, but no, it's not a good thing. When I say 'gone', I mean that the city of thirty thousand or so, including several dozen ninja, was basically wiped off the map in a raging inferno of destruction four days ago. The loss of life was around eighty-five percent."

The gasps returned, louder and more desperate than before. Even Naruto's jaw hit the floor, almost literally as he sunk to his knees.

"So many people... what happened?"

Ei had to strain his ears to hear the boy's half-sobbing voice over the murmurs from his council and the boy's teammates. "Silence."  
The room quieted at once.

"Yugito happened. She had been sent to spy on Hidan and Kakuzu's meeting. I gave her orders that, if she was able, she should kill one or both of them. She's a good ninja, I didn't think she'd fail. But apparently she did. Both Hidan and Kukuzu were reported dead by our spies, but two days later, both were seen by equally reliable sources heading into Iwa, together. They had a blonde woman with them, unconscious."

Naruto snarled and jumped up from the floor, "We have to stop them! They'll extract-"  
"Silence!" Ei roared, but it was more Kirabi's hand over the blonde boy's mouth that brought the effect about. "I understand. Believe me, I know Yugito's your friend. She is mine, and my brother's, and a loyal kunoichi of Kumo. But we can't rescue her. We can't get there in time, we can't enter Iwa with the kind of force we'd need, much less get around or through Oto with it. There's nothing we can do."

There was silence for a long time.

It was Sakura who spoke up next, "Maybe... maybe we can do something from Ootori?"

Ei nodded, turning to the rosette, who quailed. She'd grown used to the intimidating glares of Team Samui, and to a lesser degree, their sensei, Kirabi, but Ei was something else. "That is my hope. Team Samui, your mission is to accompany Team Naruto back to Ootorigakure. Once there, you will assist them with whatever they require, in payment for this favor. You are to request that they, as a neutral party, take the mission to rescue Nii Yugito from the organization known as Akatsuki. Is this understood?"  
Samui nodded curtly, "Hai, Raikage-sama."  
"Go, get your team ready."

The busty blonde nodded quickly and rushed from the room, sparing a rare sympathetic glance at both her sensei and his younger friend, both of whom were quite close to the kidnapped kunoichi.

After she'd gone, Ei turned to the council, "We'll reconvene in ten minutes. Until then, out."

A few of the older members looked like they wanted to protest, but none seemed willing to actually challenge the hulking Kage.  
Once the last, an older man that had to shuffle from the room with a cane, had left, Ei turned his attention to his younger brother. "Bee, you are to stay within Kumo for the time being. I cannot risk losing both of you, especially not to them."

The rapper opened his mouth to protest, swallowed, then closed it. He nodded once, firmly, "Ain't no lie, it's a rock-hard pie to swallow, but it's do or die, I got orders to follow."

Ei nodded, then turned to Naruto again, who, for once, hadn't found the lyrics physically painful- only terrible. "Team Naruto, this is not an official order, but your welcome in Kumo is expired. If you are within the city by dawn tomorrow, you will be arrested. If you are within Kaminari no Kuni by dawn five days from now, the same. I would suggest you return home with all due speed. I would also consider it a personal favor if you were to escort Team Samui from the borders of Lightning to Ootorigakure."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "As you command, Raikage-sama."

_It's out of the way, heading all the way back home, but Ei's right. No way we can get through Oto with enough ninja to infiltrate Iwa, especially quietly._

As the ninja turned to leave, Naruto paused at the door, "Oh, uhm... is that the best info you have on Yugito-nee-chan? If we're really going to rescue her... we kind of need to know where they're headed."

Ei gave a small smile, though the mirth never reached his eyes, "It's the best I have, Naruto. I'd ask your sensei. I got most of this information from him, anyway."

The blue eyes widened. _Ero-sennin's in contact with Ei still? Then why'd we get sent up here, if they're still talking? Unless..._

But his musings were cut short by Sakura's hand gripping his own and pulling him from the office with a hurried, "Sorry about the delay leaving, Raikage-sama! It's been a pleasure!"

**A/N2: **I don't have a whole lot to say, here. Sorry again that it's been so long. I had a terrible urge to write, believe me, I just couldn't muster the energy to stay conscious for much of the last three weeks, much less upright and at my desk- even on my laptop sitting in my bed was too much work.

This is also, by the way, the official end of the Kumo arc. The story 'could' be considered half-way done with this, since it's half of what I had planned originally. However, knowing me, it's liable to get much bigger. 51 pages (single spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman) for this arc, roughly 1/3 of the story- bit more- in this arc, when it was intended to be about thirty pages and ¼. So yeah, the story could be quite large length-wise. That's 'if' I don't add any other arcs in between or at the end. I could, in theory, write this story for years as long as I keep coming up with things to do in it the AU world. Not going to happen, though. I'm almost certainly ending it where I had planned to. Any additions would be small, a chapter or two past that, at most.

**Glossary:**

**Takigakure/Taki no Kuni:** Village Hidden in the Waterfall/Land of Waterfalls. This is an ally of Konoha in canon, but is now an enemy in this AU. It's current Jonin-Oyabun is (surprise, surprise) Kakuzu. For more on him, see below. Yes, they still have the Hero's Water- but there's not very much of it. Remember, it gathers slowly, and they would have used some to fight Kakuzu when he took over. He's been rogue for a long time, and had been since long before Kyuubi attacked Konoha. Other than it's political bent (or at least it's leadership's), it is much the same as seen in the anime's filler arcs. Note that, as of Chapter 24, Taki is for the most part destroyed. It being the only major settlement, the country is likely to fall soon. [This is an update from the previous post of the same name]

**Reverse-Summon:** We saw this in canon, too. It's the method by which a summoned/ing creature of sufficient power can summon his summoner. There are precious few who can do this at all, amongst the toads, it's basically the Great Old Toad, Ma, Pa, and Gamakichi. Even Gamabunta may not have the ability, although he's definitely next on the list as most likely to. How exactly Gamakichi learned the skill is something even Naruto doesn't know. And yes, that earlier line- Sakura's confused about how reverse summoning works. She can't do it, nor can any slug she's ever summoned. Katsuya may not be able to herself, and she is undoubtedly the strongest slug summon. [This is an edit from the previous posts, where I got Gamakichi and 'tatsu mixed up in the names. Stupid can't reverse-summon, nor can, supposedly, 'bunta]

**Kakuzu:** Essentially as canon, except that- while he still wears the scratched-out Taki headband, he is now in charge of the city and country. He is, in fact, the only living Jonin there- he tolerates no even approximate threats to his rule. Of course, since he can single-handedly defend a good portion of Taki against Orochimaru (no, the Snake is not a member of Akatsuki any more here, either), Taki didn't shrink much with Oto's expansion. Was almost a dead-even match for Yugito's power at 40% of his own, but worried that at 39% she'd beat him. Used all masks to bring her down, and that only tied it up. [Edited from previous, more info]

That's it for this one, all of the Glossary subjects are updates to older data.


	25. Chapter 25: Home

A/N: That illness? Not going away. It's faded, mostly, but still there. Still coughing a lot, and so on. That's part of the reason for the delay. The other parts are: Lack of sleep (pretty dire, actually- averaging 2-4 hours a night for a couple of weeks) and it's impact on my ability to focus, and most importantly; that lack of focus. It's hard to write when you can't string a single sentence together correctly. As a result... I apologize if this chapter is a bit off. I tried (quite hard) to make it both cohesive and correct in language, but... no guarantees as loopy as I've been. Hopefully the last couple sections are better, since I've been better the last few days. Oh... and I 'think' I've worked around the plot problem that developed. We'll see in the next chapter or two.  
Also, hopefully, not quite such a long wait next time. :)

**Chap. 25 Home**

"Team Samui, Team Naruto is ready to escort you from Kumogakure to Ootorigakure."

The busty blonde woman, six inches taller than the blonde speaker, nodded curtly before speaking. "Team Samui is pleased by your assistance. The sooner we reach Ootori the better... no more formalities, let's go!"

With a grin, Naruto took off after the suddenly sprinting older team, Jonin all, with his own Chunin-level team behind him.

Later that night, Naruto's spirits had fallen considerably. "This is taking too long... it took us... what, would have taken us about six days to reach Kumo if we hadn't been ambushed?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, about that. Tsunade-shishio suggested we take it easy once we got inside Kaminari no Kuni, so we didn't attract too much attention, but... it would have taken about that. Maybe another day."

Naruto nodded, "And we have four days left to leave Lightning, so we're good there. But Yugito's probably more than half-way to Iwa by now, if they aren't already in Tsuchi no Kuni. We have to move faster!"

Sasuke shook his head, "I don't think it's that big of a problem."  
Naruto shot the black-haired teen a glare, but the Uchiha continued calmly, "These 'Akatsuki'... 'Red Clouds'. They... or at least two masked men in black robes with red clouds on them, approached my brother about a year ago. Asked him to join them. We- he- fought them off, but only just. As skilled as my brother is, as powerful as his Mangekyo Sharingan is, he was just barely able to fight two of them off- not kill them. We _have_ to have reinforcements if we're going to take them down."

"I know!" Naruto shouted, drawing annoyed looks from the rest of the assembled ninja.

Again, Sasuke seemed unperturbed, "Do you? I haven't even gotten to my point yet."  
He ignored Naruto's grumbling that maybe he should do just that.

"Look, I said all that to illustrate how powerful, how dangerous, these guys are... how much chakra each of them has. But compared to a Bijuu, each of them is a puddle compared to a lake. Anything- _anything_- they're planning to do to a Jinchuuriki would take time, even for them.

"You said 'extract' in Ei's office."

Distracted by the change in topic, Naruto nodded without thinking, "Yeah... that's what we think the Akatsuki are trying to do with the Bijuu... take them out of their hosts, use them for something else. We don't know how they're controlling them, or even containing them, without a host, but... me and Ero-sennin came across the old host of the Sanbi. He was dead... had been for about three months when we found him in one of their bases. But there were no signs of injury, poison, disease... no sign of death at all. But even a dead body has _some_ chakra left over, months later, if nothing else because of the decay of all flesh after death. This guy, Ero-kyofu said his name was Yagura or something, the old Mizukage, he... he had _nothing_. Not a trace of chakra. The closest thing we found to an injury was scar tissue around his seal, like it'd been ripped off and healed over at the same time, or something. So we..."

Naruto's train of thought seemed to derail for a moment. When he resumed speaking after a few second's uncomfortable silence, his tone was subdued, quiet.  
Ino found it strangely unnatural, coming from someone who talked more than _she_ did, and louder, too.

"We figured out they'd torn the Bijuu from his body, stole the Chakra, the Youkai... and we think they took the soul, of both the Bijuu and Jinchuuriki, too. They'd need the container's spirit to control the Tailed Beasts', we think. Either way, there was nothing left but a husk when we found Yagura. So... yeah, extraction. That's the fate that awaits all the Jinchuuriki if the Akatsuki win. That's what Yugito has to look forward to."

None of the group missed the unmentioned fact that a similar fate awaited Naruto, as well, should he be captured.  
Nor did Sakura, Ino, or himself forget how easily he had been taken down by just one of the Red Clouds in Yugakure.

(O)(O)(O)

"I've got an idea," Naruto said over breakfast early the next morning. The camp had already been broken down aside from the tiny cook fire Omoi had used to heat the simple traveler's stew Kumo ninja favored on the road (Naruto had to admit it was much better than the former Konoha's stale crackers in terms of flavor, if nothing else).  
"About what?" Ino replied, already glaring. Quite aside from not being a morning person- which she wasn't- Ino was quite worried about the likely-hood of him suggesting they split up. Undoubtedly, with him going alone- or effectively alone- to chase after his kidnapped friend.

When he turned to look at his fellow blonde, she was slightly reassured. His eyes didn't have the manic gleam she'd come to associate with protecting those he cared about, but a twinkle of amusement at his plan, as if he knew something they didn't... but they'd regret learning. "I have a plan to get us to Ootori, and maybe Iwa, faster than normal. It's a bit risky, but I think we can pull it off."

Karui, the hot-tempered red-head that she was, blurted out, "Well, tell us already! We need to get a move on, one way or another!"

Naruto just grinned and bit his thumb, muttered, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." and pressed his palm to the ground in front of him.  
With a puff of smoke, a yellow-skinned toad wearing a black jacket, as tall as Naruto and probably six times as heavy, appeared next to him.  
"Hey, Bro! How'ya doin? Got any snacks for me? I'm _reeeeeeaaaaly hungry_!"  
Naruto grimaced, "I meant to get 'Kichi, 'Tatsu... why'd you come? You're such a pig!"  
The yellow toad laughed, a surprisingly high-pitched noise from such a large creature, "Yer funny, Bro! Bro's busy with his _girlfriend_, so he sent me! Where's the snacks, Bro?"

The others appeared more than a little... well, less than impressed. But Naruto was not to be stopped by the obstacle of his second-favorite toad, no matter how slow he was mentally!

"Hey, 'Tatsu... you want a _lot_ of snacks? Like, a wagon full?"  
The toad's bulbous eyes swelled comically. "A _wagon_ full? That's a lot! Like, a whole meal! What do I gotta do, Bro?"

Naruto grinned, "Just relay a message. Go back to your old man, and tell him I need him. I'll get you that wagon of snacks next time I summon you, and tell him I'll buy him... hell, I'll buy him _two_ barrels of Dragonfire Sake to pay him back for what I need him for!"

"All right, Bro! I'll go tell Dad right now!"  
"Wait, 'Tatsu!" Naruto called, but the toad had already disappeared with another puff of smoke.

Silence reigned over the campsite for several minutes, while the crowd- who, admittedly, had been somewhat impressed with Naruto up until now- tried to digest the kind of utter failure that could summon massive creatures (summoning had never exactly been a common art), but had to _bribe_ them into service.

It was Sakura who broke the stunned silence, "Um, Naruto... Why d'you have to _pay_ for snacks and sake? Aren't summons honor-bound to obey their summoner?"

The shinobi in question grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "Well... yeah. But Gamabunta, 'Kichi, and 'Tatsu are my friends... well, the younger two are, anyway. It's not really _payment_, I'm just doing them a favor to be nice, aren't I?"  
The others rolled their eyes, including the normally stoic Samui. Clearly, this blonde did not know how summoning contracts actually worked. Still, it wasn't worth explaining it to him... she'd leave that for his sensei. He _was_ supposed to be a legend, after all.  
"Still... isn't Dragonfire Sake like... really expensive? Tsunade-shishio _never_ opens up the one tiny bottle she has. Says it's too expensive to drink."

Naruto nodded, grinning once again, "Yeah... Ero-sennin owns the company, so I get it for free. Only... don't tell 'Bunta, 'kay? If he found out it _doesn't_ cost us anything to get it for him, he'd drink the company under! So you _can't_ tell him!"

A tremendous cloud of smoke washed over them, accompanied by a booming, echoing voice, "Can't tell me what, little brat?"

Naruto's face paled several shades. "C- Chief! You got here fast!"

His flimsy attempt to change the subject didn't distract the monstrously large amphibian, however. "Well, yes, my boy said you had a wonderful _payment_ for me... so I came to your world at once. Now, what am I not supposed to know? What about this task are you hiding from me?"

Fortunately, Naruto was wise enough to take the toad's misunderstanding and run with it, "Uh... nothing, Boss, nothing! It's just..."

Faster than most of the humans could register, an eye larger than any one of them- larger than two, in the case of Ino and Sakura- was leering down at them from just over their heads, the rest of the orange, wart-covered head blocking the sky from view. "You're lying, little brat. You _are_ hiding something... tell me what requires such a heavy payment."

"Well..."

The toad's eye narrowed quickly, and most of the group quailed. Naruto, however, had long since learned to deal with Gamabunta's intimidation tactics, and stood firm. "It's... you aren't going to like it, that's all, it's not really hard. It's just..."

"Spit it out, boy!" the toad roared suddenly, shaking the trees around them for several dozen yards.

In a rush, the blonde stammered out his needs, faking nervousness with all his skill (after all, one didn't need to actually be nervous if you could dispel your summons with a single, focused thought and burst of chakra).

"You _what_?" the toad boss cried.

Naruto's nose twitched, there was a sudden smell of urine... faint, but there. Idly, he wondered which of his six companions had been the one. "Taxi! Long way, big emergency, have to hurry! Two barrels of Dragonfire!"

The toad's next response was comparatively quiet, almost soft, though the tones shook the leaves beneath their feet. "You want me to carry _seven_ ninja all the way from here home, and then to Iwagakure later? Are you in_sane_? That's worth at _least_ four barrels!"

Still cowed by the sheer size and apparent power of the summons, it was a long time before most of the group even registered that Naruto would only have to pay more, and he would not be getting them squished today... maybe.  
He, though, was right on top of things, immediately bargaining the toad down. A few short minutes of rapid-fire exchanges later, Gamabunta had been talked down to three barrels and one keg- a couple of mouthfuls at most for him-of the excellent sake for the journey, provided there was no combat taking place.  
Inwardly, Naruto heaved a sigh of relief. The last time Jiraiya had made a similar request of the toad, he'd had to sacrifice nearly a quarter of the sake company's yearly profits to pay for it. The setback had caused ripples throughout the entire continent's economy as the hard-to-afford sake became even harder to find. "Deal!"

(O)(O)(O)

"I said _no_, Naruto! Drop it! We'll find another way!"

The younger blonde was undeterred, however. "There isn't _time_ for 'another way'! Yugito-nee-chan's already at their base, she's probably having the Nibi extracted _right now_! There's no telling what they'll use it for if we don't stop them! How many people could they kill with that kind of power? Huh?"

Tsunade, though, was not a Sannin for nothing, and did not back down. "Shut up! I know what they can do, better than you do, I'll bet! I didn't say we were doing nothing, gaki! I said there was another way!"

Those gathered in the office that was swiftly turning into the 'boss office' in the foundling village fell silent, the two opposing sides shooting furious looks at each other.

Naruto, though, was the first to look away. A moment after his eyes fell from Tsunade's, his head followed. Then he spun without a word and walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.  
The soft click of the door made Sakura, Shizune, and Ino jump as if he'd slammed it with all his might.

"Shishio..." the rosette said, but she was interrupted by the older medic.  
"Quiet, Sakura. All of you, just be quiet and listen. The team is being assembled by Fugaku and Hiashi right now. They'll leave by tonight. But I don't want any of you on it, so don't get any funny ideas. There's time to get them to Iwa and back, Jiraiya's pretty sure he knows where the base is. Cloud doesn't have to worry, we'll get their Jinchuuriki back for them."  
Samui spoke up for the first time in an hour, "Kaminari no Kuni and Kumogakure will not be beholden to you in this, Tsuande-sama. We have given no official mission, you do understand that?"

Tsunade snorted, "Of course I do. Just as your Raikage understands that he'll be _beholden_ to us whether there's a mission or not. There are many types of payment, after all. Now... Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, I want you three to go home and rest. You've been through a lot. Take the cabin, no one's been there for a few days and it's probably quieter than camp. Should be enough room. Bring Naruto if you find him, he needs to calm down too."

After a few mumbled words, the three youngest shinobi left the office as Tsunade turned her attention to the older team from Kumo.

"Come on, guys... you'll probably like staying at the cabin. No need for anything else, unless you want to let your dad know you're back, Ino?"

The blonde shook her head, "He'll figure it out soon enough. He's probably been checking in with Tsunade-sama every day for a week. Let's... let's go find Naruto. I'm pretty worried... I was sure he'd slam the door."

Sakura nodded, "Yeah... he's more upset than he's letting on, if he's being quiet about it."

Sasuke, for his part, merely shook his head. _They don't get it at all. He's not upset. He's more frustrated than he can bear, maybe, and angry, but not 'upset'. We'd better track him down, though. There's no telling when he's going to leave, and he'll need our help when he does._

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura half expected to have to follow a trail of broken branches and leaves as they tracked Naruto through the forest. She was also a little surprised to see him heading straight for the cabin; but thinking a layer deeper made her realize that if her childhood friend was, indeed, planning a rebellious rescue, the cabin would be the best place to do so. In addition, it was also the place best suited to cooling him off... if such a feat was possible.  
"We're almost there," she muttered to Ino, Sasuke having already visited their childhood home on at least one occasion that she knew of.  
The blonde nodded, "Right," and fell silent again.  
Sakura was a little bothered by this behavior. The loudmouth girl, likely her chief (possibly only) rival for Naruto's affections was quite subdued, even Sasuke had talked more to her as they ran through the trees for the eleven of twelve miles they'd covered so far. "Hey, Ino..."

"Hm?"

Sasuke, perhaps sensing that 'girl talk' was coming, suddenly sped up, leaving the kunoichi behind. Sakura thought for a moment about accelerating as well, but quickly discarded the notion- Sasuke would be more likely to understand Naruto's point of view right now anyway.  
"It's... you don't have to give up."

"Huh?" was her intelligent reply.

"Naruto... you don't have to give up on him. It's... it's not fair to you, and it's not fair to him. He should... he should be able to choose for himself."

"I... I don't understand..."

Sakura's green eyes closed with what Ino was sure was frustration at having to explain further, "You... you can try and get him to like you, if you want. He should... he deserves the chance to choose who he wants. Right?"

Numbly, shocked beyond belief at the bravery her rival was displaying, Ino could only nod.

**A/N2: **So, again not a lot to say- just read, enjoy, review, eat some pie, and review again for good measure. :D

**Glossary:**

Nothing.


	26. Chapter 26: Take what you can get

**A/N:** Good news, everyone! * hobbles in on cane * We've got a new delivery to the sewer planet of YUKY-1!  
… I mean, new chapter, just a day or two (depending on when you get the update message- the last was the day 'after' I updated for my own) from the last one!

The good news is that I seem to have found my muse again. I know exactly how I plan to progress from P-Z in terms of story conclusion, for the most part. All that's left is the actual journey, there shouldn't be any more plot hang-ups for me, at least. That is, if I can write down my notes and thoughts before I forget 'em. :D  
This chapter's more than it seems, by the way. It's 'not' just fluff, though it might seem like it. The heavier stuff is coming, though. Secrets revealed, destinies chosen, blah blah... all too soon. Oh, and I wrote this late and may have missed stuff while proofing- if you notice any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I'll try to clear them up asap. Hopefully I'll remember to proof again tomorrow anyway when I'm more functional.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 26 Take what you can get**

"N- Naruto?"

Sakura's voice echoed uncertainly in the apparently empty cabin. A nervous glance back at her companions revealed Ino's still surprisingly-subdued demeanor and Sasuke's determined expression. The shinobi nodded once, firmly, then flicked his eyes back into the shadows of the cabin as if to say, "he's here".

Slowly, as if unsure that she would be allowed into her own home, Sakura put one foot inside, then the other, before setting her traveling pack down and taking off her sandals, slipping into her house slippers.  
Behind her, she registered only distantly her companions doing the same, not sparing a thought for who's household foot-wear the two were likely borrowing. "Naruto?"

This time, she felt a wash of shame at how weak she sounded. She was the apprentice of a Sannin! A powerful kunoichi in her own right! How _dare_ she sound so... so _pathetic_?

But there was no answer.

Ino offered, after a moment of dismal silence, "He's been here recently, I can feel his chakra signature. I can't tell exactly where he is, though, 'cause it's over everything. Like... like he was bleeding it off at a furious pace."  
Sakura nodded woodenly, "The Fox... he's letting out some of it's power, I... I think."  
Sasuke's voice was firm, "Then we need to find him fast. _Sharingan_!"

After a few moments, the young man's hand came to rest on Sakura's right shoulder, the other pointing beyond her, toward the rear garden, "He's that way, a little ways off. His chakra's... wild. I'm not sure it's safe to go talk him down right now."

Again, the medic-kunoichi nodded slowly, forcing herself to slide into the couch. "Make- make yourselves at home, I guess. I'll... I'll go talk to him in a minute. Unless you want to, Ino?"

Sakura herself wasn't sure if there was more fear or hope in her voice. Either way, she hated herself for it.

Nonetheless, she was relieved when the taller blonde shook her head quickly, "No, no, I think it's better if... if you do it. I've _seen_ the Fox before, and I can feel the chakra from here. I don't want... I don't want to get anywhere near it when he's like this."

Sasuke, though, simply rolled his eyes. He could understand not wanting to put themselves in harms way- he'd just recommended it himself, after all- but their reasons smacked of cowardice to him. That was a trait he simply wouldn't allow himself. Not if he was destined to do what he was.

"I'll go," he muttered after a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, "I think I get where he's coming from. You two... get dinner or something ready, I guess?"

It wasn't until the raven-haired shinobi had slunk half-stealthily and half-bravely out the kitchen door that the two girls realized exactly what he'd delegated them to and shared a mutual snarl that promised retribution later.

(O)(O)(O)

"You know they're right," was Sasuke's extremely tactful greeting to the blonde.

This might have been perfectly normal between two trained warriors that happened to both be male. However, in retrospect, as the Uchiha watched his teammate and possibly friend withdraw the chakra-covered hand from inside a massive redwood, he began to rethink that position.  
Still...

"You're too involved, and you know it. Look at it objectively. Would you sacrifice Sakura, Ino, Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama for your goal of rescuing this Kumo Jinchuuriki?"

There was silence for a few minutes aside from the constant rustle of leaves in the chakra-fueled breeze, and the occasional audible crackle of the same.

"Don't..." Naruto eventually said, his voice hoarse as if he'd been yelling for hours, not the few minutes they had been behind him, "Don't call... don't call her that!"

The last had been roared with a ferocity that reminded the Uchiha- rather forcefully- of his very faintest, earliest memory- red flame and pain, the smell he later identified with death. The night, he thought, the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha. Maybe it was later, after the other Hidden Villages had moved to pounce on the vastly weakened Leaf. Either way, there had been fire, blood, and death. It was, he also now knew, the night his older brother had spirited him away from what was left of his Clan.  
Involuntarily taking a step back, Sasuke still stood firm as best he could. "What, Jinchuuriki? Face it, Naruto! It's what she is! What you are! The sooner you can admit that, the sooner-"

He was cut off by a flaming mass of chakra, vaguely claw-shaped, that ripped from behind Naruto to smash him in the chest.  
Once Sasuke came to rest against a tree several additional feet away, he spoke again, this time his voice even firmer while his red Sharingan eyes blazed, "Grow up! Power of the Human Sacrifice! You _are_ that Power! You _are_ that Sacrifice! No matter how much you hate it, hate the very idea of it, it _is_ who you are! It's a disgusting idea, but it doesn't change the truth, Naruto!"

Another chakra claw lashed out, but with his Sharingan active, it was a simple matter for the Uchiha to simply step aside, allowing the tree he'd stopped against to take the blow instead. It fell slowly to his left, leaving him free to stand facing Naruto still.  
"Don't... not just... we're people!"  
Sasuke nodded solemnly, his lips set in a firm line, "Yes... like I said, you are the Power, you are the Sacrifice... and you are also the _Human_. Containing those... those _beasts_ doesn't make you any less human, no matter how much the others might try and convince you otherwise. I know that. Sakura knows that. Ino does, too. I'd also bet everything I own- hell, I'd bet my _eyes_- that my older brother, Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya know it, too. If anything, I'd say the pain you've suffered because of them makes you _more_ human. So fucking _get over it_, Naruto! Accept what you are, 'cause it's not changing no matter how much you try. Take the hand you're dealt, fight to change it if you must, but play it no matter what!"

There was another blast of chakra from the blonde that knocked Sasuke flying once again. Just before he blacked out, he saw three tails begin to form out of the chakra mass behind Naruto.

_Oh, crap..._

(O)(O)(O)

When Sasuke came to, an unfamiliar male voice was talking calmly to Ino and Sakura.  
"He'll be all right. Mostly, I think his injuries are from the Bijuu's chakra, as it burned his skin away. The new-skin pink is already fading around his hands, see?"

Ino murmured appreciatively while Sasuke could feel the subtle wash of Sakura's medical chakra moving nearby.  
"Hrk-" was his only sound before he lurched upright and sideways in agony before vomiting the contents of his trail bar- the only food they'd allowed themselves in their hurry to catch up to Naruto before he did something rash- onto the floor near the couch he was laying on.

Once he opened his eyes (to a fresh wave of stabbing pain), he could make out a fuzzy Ino who also looked a little green around the gills, and a more controlled, but still obviously disgusted, Sakura, who only spared a glance at him before turning back to the other, shorter couch where he could make out a patch of blonde.

The unfamiliar man was outside his field of vision, but the kunoichi seemed comfortable with his presence, so Sasuke allowed himself to fall back onto the couch.  
"Sorry," he muttered, "I meant to say- who're you?"

The older man chuckled in a deep, casual way before stepping into Sasuke's field of view with a bucket and a towel. "No problem, I was waiting for you to wake up and purge the tainted food anyway. Name's... well, you can call me Yamato Takeru, or just Yamato, I guess. Lucky I happened along when I did, there's probably not three people in the whole world that can suppress a Bijuu's chakra so easily. Sorry about knocking your friend out, though. I thought he was attacking you."

Ino shook her head, "No, don't apologize. You've done enough that we should be thanking you."

The older man shrugged casually again, "Listen, I don't suppose you four know where I can find the new village, Ootori, do you? I noticed your ninja gear, so..."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt charged and tense, despite the older ninja's casual attitude. It was Sakura who replied, "Twelve miles northeast you'll find the edge of the ruins. Keep going in that direction and you'll find them, if the patrols don't find you first."

The tall man nodded, moving into the kitchen to, Sasuke assumed, deposit the bucket filled with his sick, then returned. "Thanks, then. Listen, when your friend wakes up, will you apologize to him for me, for going overboard? I didn't think it'd be that easy... I had to put down a Jinchuuriki a few years ago, and it was a lot more work, that's all."

Ino nodded, "We'll tell him. Thanks again, Yamato-san."

The other man nodded with a grin, gave a wave, and walked out the door before shutting it quietly behind him.

There was a few minute's silence as Sakura continuing moving her hands a few inches over Naruto's body before Sasuke caught the blonde kunoichi's eyes, and she got the gist of his unasked question.

"Well... we aren't really sure. Both of us ran out there right when he lost control. We caught you before you hit the wall- at the speed you were moving at, you'd have probably gone straight through the cabin if we hadn't, head first."

Sasuke's eyes widened a little, but Ino pressed on, "Then Naruto was just... just staring at us, with so much _anger_, and _pain_... It was like he was a whole different person right then, like he... like he wanted to kill us. Is that... is that what he's really like?"

Sakura shook her head slowly, "No... no, that's not Naruto. The Naruto I know is kind to a fault, almost always cheerful, except when he feels helpless... that was the Kyuubi, peeking out of him."

Sasuke could not miss the relief, however faint, slip over Ino's face with that reassurance.  
The young woman shook herself free of her dark thoughts before continuing, "and just then, out of nowhere, these... I guess you'd just call them _trees_ started sprouting right up out of the ground. They were all around Naruto. They caught him, twisted all over him, and pulled him down, then they... they started to stick into him like little thorns, and drain... well, I'm sure they got a little blood, but the orange chakra, the Fox's, I guess, just... went. Pulled into the trees and then the ground, I guess. After that, the trees shrunk back and withered away, and this guy, Yamato, steps from behind a tree and moves to kill Naruto... that's when we stopped him, told him he was our friend, and he brought him over to us, helped us get you two inside, and... well, you can figure out the rest."

Sasuke nodded. _That sounds almost like the First Hokage's jutsu. But Tsunade-sama never had children, right? So how could this man have that bloodline?_  
His musings were broken by Naruto stirring.

"Ugh... Sak..ra... In..o... Sasiki?"

The girls got a chuckle out of the way the half-delirious shinobi butchered the other's name, while Sasuke could only glare half-heartedly to the occupant of the other couch.

A few minutes later, after they'd relayed what had happened to Naruto, the blonde was finally sitting upright, head buried in his hands. "Tenzo, that sneaky bastard. Ero-sennin probably sent him to keep an eye on me. He's probably been shadowing us since we got back from Kumo. Maybe earlier."

"Tenzo?" Ino asked, "I thought his name was Yamato?"

Naruto shook his head, not bothering to look up, "Might be. He introduced himself as Tenzo to me and Ero-sennin. He was a Konoha ninja. Graduated from the exam and made Chunin in the same year, when he was nine, because of his unique ability... he has the bloodline of the Senju Clan, even though he's not one of them. Ero-sennin put him to work for his spy network, it was mostly him that spread the word about Oootori coming back. That's what we spent most of our last year doing, when we were on the road."

For the next few hours as true darkness fell, the two kunoichi busied themselves readying the cabin to have four occupants again, something that hadn't happened since the Hyuuga had arrived at the ruins months previous.

For reasons unknown to Naruto or Sasuke, both of them had decided that all four would be sleeping in the living room. Sasuke assumed simply that either Naruto or Sakura, possibly both, were not comfortable loaning out Shizune, Jiraiya, or Tsunade's rooms to their companions. While that was certainly true, both Ino and Sakura had entirely different reasons.

"So, Naruto," Ino asked in a would-be-casual voice as she unrolled her bedroll to fill the floor between both of the male ninja's heads, "How're you feeling? That Yamato, or Tenzo, or whatever his real name is said you basically had chakra poisoning, but that you were getting over it fast. Sakura said the same thing, right?"  
The rosette glanced away from her own bedroll to nod once at the blondes, "Yes. I helped Shishio treat it a few times on both Naruto and Jiraiya-sensei, so I recognize it pretty easily."

"Sorry..." Naruto muttered, so quietly that each of the three had to strain to catch the last half of the word.  
"What for?" Sakura asked now slipping into her bedroll still fully dressed.  
"I put you guys in danger... that's why I wanted to get away, I knew I was losing control. So..."

Sasuke snorted. "You didn't chase after us, we chased after you, dimwit. We put _ourselves_ in danger. But we're all fine, right? Mild chakra poisoning, we'll be up and about by tomorrow, according to Miss Medic over there. No harm, no foul."

Naruto's eyes flicked up from between his hands to glare at Sasuke.

_Nope, guess he still hasn't forgiven me. Mouth shut, Uchiha._  
"He's right, Naruto, so stop giving him the stink eye," Ino said firmly, "We knew what we were getting into. Me better than most, 'cept maybe Forehead, here."

The medic in question shot a glare at the blonde before reaching up to dim the one light they'd left on, "Gotta have somewhere to keep my brain. Something you wouldn't know anything about, bubble-brain. Maybe bubble-boob's more appropriate, though, since you seem so proud of them."

The two Shinobi shot worried- though appreciative- looks at each other before mutually deciding, for their own safety, to lay back and pretend to be asleep, while enjoying what promised to be a healthy round of sniping.

"Hmph, is that the best you've got, Pinky? You'd think, with a brain so big, you could actually come up with something original rather than boobs or blonde jokes. Guess brains aren't everything, are they?"  
"I wouldn't know, _Blondie_, 'cause that's not all I've got!"

Ino snorted, "Couldn't tell it from lookin' at your chest, that's for sure!"

"Ooh, did you think of that _all by yourself_? I'll have you know, Naruto's not the type of guy to care about breast size! I imagine he'd be turned off by your _oinking_, though, _Pig_!"

The escalation of verbal violence was suddenly unnoticed by the two males. Now that Naruto's name had been brought up, there was undoubtedly a greater risk that they'd be called in to confirm or deny something that was said. Both feigned sleep at once with everything they had.

Tactically speaking, there was no other option.

However, a few minutes in, Sasuke, who had, he would freely admit, the least experience of anyone in the room with the opposite sex, made what he would later call the biggest blunder of his life- and yet one he would happily make again as long as he got to watch the results one more time.  
"Oh, will you two just get over your repressed hormones and kiss and make up already?"

But while Naruto quailed under the sudden pressure of the kunoichi's anger, he could not help but crack an eye when Ino spoke in a much lower, huskier voice than they'd heard from her before, "Maybe I will. I've kissed a few girls before, and I have to admit, Forehead's lips are just the... perfect... shade..."

Three pairs of eyes widened as Ino's closed to a half-lidded state while her head moved slowly, enticingly toward the other woman's. Sakura seemed paralyzed, while the breathing of the two men was quickly increasing in tempo.

One meter became centimeters.

Millimeters.

Sakura's eyes, previously wide with something approaching terror, calmed immediately, as if resigned... or, perhaps...  
They had no sooner closed, the rosette's head tilted slightly to one side, when Ino burst out laughing at full volume. "You- you should see the look on your face! You actually _wanted _to-"

But what she claimed Sakura may have wanted was never revealed, because the rosette took that moment to seize the initiative. She moved forward in a blink, capturing the blonde's lips with her own.

For a moment, time in the cabin stood still.

Someone moaned.

Lips- Sakura was not sure, later, if they were her own or Ino's- opened, allowing a tongue to slip by.

Minutes, seconds, maybe an hour or more later, someone moaned again.

When the rosette pulled away, Ino's eyes were once again half-lidded, clouded with... something.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see both Naruto and Sasuke staring, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, at the kunoichi.  
Feeling braver than she ever had, Sakura moved in for one last lingering taste, before gently pushing Ino back to her own bedroll and climbing the rest of the way into her own. "'night," she said casually, before dimming the light completely to hide her own furious blush.

An hour later, Ino's mutters of "Grandpa naked, Grandpa naked, Grandpa naked" only served to further distract both Naruto and Sasuke from their own attempted distractions, causing them to fail at driving the scene from their minds far enough to sleep.  
Of them all, only Sakura was able to get a good night's sleep.

(O)(O)(O)

As a result, when Sakura woke up in a cheerful mood and saw the others gathered bleary-eyed around the kitchen table, she couldn't shake the smirk of victory from her face. "Hey, guys. Sleep good? I hope you had pleasant dreams... I know I did."

She wasn't sure who, but the medic was entirely certain that _someone_ muttered, "_too_ pleasant..." before the three stood as one and raced for the two showers, competing for who got to take a cold one first.

Naruto was, unfortunately, the loser. As he slunk downstairs again, he resumed his place at the table, refusing to meet Sakura's gaze.

"Talk to me, Naruto," she said after a few minute's uncomfortable silence. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I'm not... well, you know I'll get mad about some things, but it's not like whatever it is is going to make me hate you."

When that still didn't get a response, she prodded again, "It's not about yesterday, is it? You know it's more our fault than yours. We want you to be safe, just like you want us to be."

He shook his head slowly. "It's not that."

"Is it me? Are you mad at me because of what... well, last night?"

He shook his head, suddenly blushing again.  
"Well... did you like it?"  
When his blush deepened further still, Sakura's own cheeks began to heat up, but she would not be deterred by her own discomfort. She'd done it all for a reason, whether she understood what that was herself or not. "It's okay to admit it if you did. I mean... I kind of did. It was weird, but... if she asked, I might do it again. If it didn't bother you, anyway."

Naruto's eyes closed tightly, his brow furrowed with concentration, making him look entirely too cute for her own good, if Sakura had been asked to voice her opinion just then. Instead, she acted. Sliding her chair over, she gently pried his head up to turn toward her own, and kissed him.  
Like the last one with Ino the night before, this was quick, gentle, much like their first kiss had been.  
"Do I taste different?"

His eyes opened at last, peering deep into hers as he licked his lips. "N- no..."

"I didn't think so. I know she uses lip gloss, but I couldn't taste it last night, either. Oh well... she tastes different than you, though."

Naruto blushed again and tried to look away, but Sakura's hands were still holding his face toward her own. "Nope... you need to talk to me, Naruto. If... if I'm going to be your girlfriend for real, we have to talk about things. So... Did. You. Like. It? Did you like watching me kiss Ino?"

He tried to shake his head, but with a mischievous grin, Sakura held him in place. "Ah, ah- don't lie. I saw your face afterwards. You were dreaming of me- of _us _- all night, weren't you?"

His eyes closed again, but this time, he nodded once, quickly, before jerking away.

At first, Sakura was confused, until... "Oh, Naruto... we really did a number on you, didn't we?"

It was his turn to look the part, until she clarified, "Me and Tsunade-shishio... you know, how we used to act around Jiraiya, or when we caught you peeping, or..."

He blushed again, but she continued relentlessly, "Well, I just have this to say, then. You aren't a little boy peeping on me in the bath just to be naughty, Naruto. You're a grown- ish- man, and I... well, I'm not the scrawny little slip that you peeked on, either. I'm grown... maybe not as much as Ino-pig... but I'm a woman, too, and honestly... it's okay. I _like_ to be looked at like that... at least, by you. It makes me feel... well, beautiful."

"You _are_ beautiful," he said earnestly, making her blush again.

"Thank you."

Several quiet minutes later, Sasuke and Ino returned at nearly the same time, the former muttering, "You might want to wait until after breakfast for your cold shower, Naruto... this Oinker over hear used _all_ the hot water herself."

The two kunoichi's fists struck each of the Uchiha's cheeks at the same time. They shared a glare of solidarity before the male threat to their domain, followed by a "Hmph!", before sitting down on either side of Naruto, leaving Sasuke twitching on the stairwell.

"It's like this, Naruto," Ino was explaining as they cleaned up their breakfast dishes, "we _know_ you've had a shitty life in some ways. But look at the good in your life. You have Ero-sennin and Tsunade-hime, Shizune, and two smokin' hot babes after your tail. There's good stuff in life too, you know. Sometimes, you just gotta take what you can get and run with it."

Naruto's demeanor changed once again from the brooding self he'd been since arriving at the cabin (though the hormonally-driven aspect had yet to fade since last night), but it was not a return to his usual perky self.

Instead, his eyes developed a strange sort of far-away focus for several minutes as his hands, which had been drying the dishes, fell still.

Once they resumed, he was quite distracted until Ino shoved him aside and took over. Numbly, he nodded, mumbled, "Cold shower now, gotta think straight," and then left, with the grins of two very evil kunoichi following him.

He didn't even notice himself stepping over Sasuke's still-twitching form at the bottom of the stairs.

**A/N2: **I got several reviews over the last couple days, but as I'm sure you (at least, those that review...) know, I don't often respond here. I just want to say thanks. Even the more negative ones are still a great help as far as motivation and improving my skills. In fact, one negative reviewer (we actually had a several-PM discussion about some issues- a misunderstanding, mostly) prompted me to get this chapter out two weeks earlier than I was planning on it, and the next is likely to be soon too- since I'm not done for the night. We'll see, though- only time will tell for sure. 'till next time, kiddies- don't let the kunai hit you in the ass on the way out! (No, really, don't- I imagine that kinda hurts)

Edit: To Izzy848- you've not seen 'anything' yet. :D

**Glossary:**

**Yamato Takeru aka Tenzo**: This is the Yamato/Tenzo described in the anime and manga, with a few minor (mostly history divergence-related) differences. He was still given the Senju DNA by Orochi, etc etc, and has the same abilities as in canon. The biggest difference is that while he was trained by an ANBU, he was not in ANBU at the time of Konoha's dissolution. He was taken in by a team who had been ordered to keep him and his bloodline (to this day in the fic-verse, they are not sure if he can pass it on- but he likely can, given how well he can use it) alive for the future. Now, his teachers are all dead, but Yamato (who went by Tenzo at the time) met up with Jiraiya and Naruto at some point (might come up, but isn't terribly important) and they had an 'adventure' or two together before Jiraiya sent him on his way to alert the scattered Clans that the time of Konoha's rebirth was close by. He was the one who met up with both the Uchiha and Hyuuga, amongst others, to confirm their suspicions about it- and this most likely _will_ come up in future, since he's the one thing almost all the survivors have in common. In fact, he's a highly likely candidate for Hokage... now that I think of it... I might have to pass on Tsunade. Not that it makes much difference in the story. /shrug

**History Lesson #1:** This, again is an entry based largely on assumptions and/or misunderstandings voiced by the above reviewer- who I share no ill will toward, by the way- so thank him (or her?) for it later if it clears anything up for you. This stuff could be important, but isn't likely to come up in the story- the characters know it, it's all fact for them, so they don't discuss it much. Just consider it assumed knowledge in the younger generation- they'd have been taught it- and things the older actually experienced.

The (very rough) timeline of events that lead to Konoha's dissolution:  
1: Madara's sending the Kyuubi against Konoha. At first, I debated whether I would keep it as canon was (the story was begun before the details of that day- involving Kushina etc- were revealed), but I think I can go with it. It just requires minor tweak of what I thought was the accurate time line of that day (one hour's worth... what a coincidence! … not!).

This had the effect of greatly weakening Konoha's forces, and decimating it's civilian population. Remember, Konoha is in _ruins_ because of the Kyuubi. Much of it, including the Hokage Monument- which was pulled off the mountain and down to bury a good chunk of the village- was laid to utter waste, and plants have a hard time growing in areas where the Kyuubi stopped for a while due to the chakra taint that is still there. On the eve of her death, after Naruto has been taken by Minato to perform the sealing but before she leaves to join him, Kushina slips into a chakra-induced trance, and gives a prophecy. The exact contents will be revealed later, but it stated that if Konoha was to have any hope at all of a future, they would have to rise from the ashes of their demise, under the guidance of the Destined Child- which to those in the know, was a clear reference to either Nagato-Pain, or Naruto, since Yondaime was already planning to sacrifice himself, and those in the know knew that Naruto was both Minato's child and Jiraiya's godson, whom he had planned on training from the day he found out Kushina was pregnant. Still, even though the prophecy- or at least rumor of it- spread like wildfire, no one was willing to abandon Konoha. So they stayed, and fought, and...

2: Several smaller nations and one larger- Iwa, Grass, Rain, Waterfall, Iron, Oto- attacked Konoha in their moment of weakness. Kumo, Kiri, and later Suna, along with all of the minor villages aside from Yu and River- who had no shinobi or samurai forces of note- joined in the attack, laying waste to about half of the total population of Hi no Kuni, and killing another third of the ninja population, and a quarter again of the civilian population of Konoha. This lead the total death toll in Hi to about 65% of the civilian population, including the entire family of the Daimyo (there is, in fact, no one higher than the rough equivalent to a baron left in that country at this time), and 92% of the shinobi population. The few Samurai that were spared- they were cut from about 8000 to 1250- were hard-pressed to even defend their local towns and homes, and have since dwindled in number as lawlessness ran rampant. Here, the first few Clans to leave- mostly minor ones, like the Furoshi- began to vanish in the still of night. Later, once it became clear that there was no way they could win, more and more Clan leaders began listening to the urgings of Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had already taken Naruto and Sakura (along with Shizune) into seclusion, and prepared for departure.  
In a final act of defiance, nearly half of every remaining Clan elected to stay behind, hoping the ruse that they were fighting to the last would help the rest escape.  
The plan worked, but...

3: The above effects- decrease in peace keeping forces and a subsequent increase in crimes, especially violent ones, further cut the population, more by virtue of people moving away than actually killed. The forces belonging to the other lands withdraw about six months after Konoha falls, with Oto taking a large- very- chunk out of Hi, and assuming it's place amongst the Five Great Nations, due in large part to them also assaulting and taking over Kusa while the Grass ninja were in Hi recovering from their part in the battle. The Clans and other survivors scatter, some into hiding, some become wanderers, and some- like the Inuzuka, Yamanaka, and Nara, return to their ancient homes from before Konoha was founded and resume their lives as close to normal as they can, waiting for the day their hope returns- and praying that they aren't wiped out like so many of their friends and allies were.

4: Story begins 17.5 years later, when Naruto's almost exactly half-way to eighteen.

Anyway, some of that, as I said, could be retold in-story. Sorry if I repeat myself later, but it's not a bad thing that you know now. I suppose I could have made it more clear early on, but meh, hindsight and all that. Until next time, once again!


	27. Chapter 27: Three Steps Forward

**A/N:** So, sorry for being so late... as some of the more recent reviewers have heard, I'd hit a major snag – well, a conundrum- about which direction around a circular plot-path I wanted to take the story. All of the events are happening either way, but the order they're happening in will drastically alter the end of the fic compared to the other path. Neither, of course (because that's the way my luck works) is any better than the other. That's the only reason (well, the only one related to the story) why this chapter has taken so long. It took forever to make up my mind.  
And, of course, I'm going in a THIRD direction anyway, but... it works. It's even, I think, better. The best part of that, though, is that the new direction was brought about by my in-story apology/gift for being so late!  
That's right, folks, the moment(s) _some_ of you have been eagerly awaiting...

More than two relationships move forward. And Sasuke's official ship is... yep, it's in this chapter. I've decided. I never thought I'd write such a thing (the pairing normally makes me shudder with despair and lack-of-canon-possibility, like Shion x Orochimaru, though it's not _that_ bad). It's even a long chapter for me!

Anyway, good times ahead! Let me know what you think, good or bad, or even in between. Also, _**please read the A/N at the bottom**_, at least the first few lines.

**EDIT:** I made a mistake (same one twice) with the earlier version- Madara (and I) mistakenly referred to a "Six-Tails Incident", both in-story and in the AN at the bottom. It should have been the Seven-Tails Incident, as it was Fuu and the Rhinocerous Beetle (Seven-Tails) that destroyed the statue, not the more pacifistic and heal-type Jinchuuriki or Bijuu of the Six-Tails, Utakata and the Slug-thing (whatever it really is). Sorries.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 27 Three Steps Forward...**

Naruto's shower took about a minute. Despite the urge to take a hot shower and cool his libido by actually _enjoying_ the private time, the reality of the situation required something different all together. Truth be told, his flash of inspiration had actually driven all (most) sexual thoughts from his head.

It was simple, brilliant, and would almost certainly be effective... if he could pull it off.

_But Okaa always said I was a natural gambler. Let's see if she was right!_

He left the shower running while he moved as quietly as he could into his room and removed his emergency stash from the storage seal on the back of his headboard. _Fifty kunai, fifty shuriken, twenty-five exploding tags, five high-yield and five low, two hundred feet of wire, ten day's trail bars, two gallons of water, and the maps Ero-sennin made me copy hour after hour when I was learning how to write... should be all I need. Might be a little tight, but I can scrape together more with small-time missions if I need to. Now if I can just get about a mile away before they notice..._

The window, greased as it usually was to allow him to escape the cabin when he didn't want his parent-figures knowing about it, opened silently. Moments later, he was running quietly into the woods without chakra, certain that his friends would notice any use of it before he got a fair distance away.

_Part One, finished! Let's see, where should I go first..._

(O)(O)(O)

Ino and Sasuke were in the back, near the shattered tree's remains, training. They'd started with showing each other the various styles of Taijutsu they had learned in Kumogakure: Sasuke the kenjutsu he'd learned from Karui and Omoi, and Ino the Aikido-like style she'd been taught by the Raikage himself.

After the first half hour, Sakura had joined them, though Sasuke had refused her offer of sparring with swords at the time.

Another hour later, Sakura had returned to the cabin to take a shower herself, while Ino and Sasuke continued their workout.  
The blonde, in fact, was holding Sasuke's kunai-wielding right hand to his throat from behind when Sakura's yell broke their concentration.  
"Naruto!"

(O)(O)(O)

_Where to go first... where... Ichibi is in Suna, Hachibi in Kumo, but I can't go back there. The Sanbi is supposed to be loose in Mizu no Kuni from what Ero-jii heard last, but I don't think I can reason with it by myself..._

Before Naruto had a chance to even take a step after his first step southeast toward Kaze no Kuni, he felt a tiny wash of chakra, followed almost immediately by another from a different source, wash over him. _What was that?_

Dropping from the tree branch he'd been about to leap from, Naruto assumed a defensive posture as soon as he'd hit the ground. "Who's there? I felt the chakra, I know there's at least two of you. Don't go thinking I'll be easy just 'cause I'm alone, either. You don't know who you're dealing with."

But a reassuring, feminine voice called out from behind him. When he spun, he was surprised to see a red body-suit with white circles, and pink, waist-length hair. "Naruto... that was very stupid of you. I'm a little disappointed. How could you even think about leaving us like that? You know better than to go too far without backup."

"Sakura-chan! How did you find me? There's two enemy-"  
"Hush, Naruto," Ino's voice came from behind, causing him to spin around again. The blonde kunoichi was, like Sakura, dressed in a bodysuit of almost identical style, though the taller woman's was deep purple and had no rings on the shoulders. Instead, they had a splash of blue and yellow, one on each side, that he thought might have been flowers.  
"I- Ino-chan? Was that chakra you two, then?"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah... it was Ino, really, acting as a sensor. We weren't sure where you were, we lost your trail a few minutes ago, so... we're coming with you. No matter what."

"No! You can't! I'm going-"  
Ino, now right beside Naruto, put a hand on his as she stepped up next to him, "Naruto... we know you're going to Sunagakure. We're going with you, and that's final. Remember what had Jiraiya-sama so upset before? You _have_ to have backup. Sasuke's no good with his injury, so we sent him back to Ootori to let your parents know what's going on. But we're with you. You can't take on an entire Hidden Village by yourself, much less get their Jinchuuriki to ally with you."

Sakura nodded, now walking closer to the two blondes as well, "She's right, Naruto. Shishio and Ero-sennin would never forgive me if I abandoned you, no matter how stupid they'd think this plan is. You need me and Ino, and, well... I don't want to speak for her, but I need you."

Naruto's surprise that they'd figured out the basics of his plan so quickly- less than a day- after he'd left was overwhelmed by Sakura's admission. But... "What do you mean, Sakura-chan? You can just go back to the village, and-"

Ino's hand slipped from his shoulder to take his hand in hers. The blonde whispered, "You don't understand... I believe _that_. She _needs_ you, Naruto. Don't you get it? Sakura... Sakura loves you. More than life itself, and if you got ki- hurt, if you didn't come back to her... do you have any idea what that'd do to us?"

Sakura chose to ignore the plural, knowing the shinobi hadn't really registered it, "Ino would be pretty upset too, I think. I know our family would, Naruto. So... we're going."

"But! This is crazy!" he tried to explain, "If they'd be upset if _I_ get hurt, what about you? They'd lose _two_ members of our family!"

Sakura shrugged, "But Naruto, how much more effective are we as a team? It's more than just me and you and Ino. We've now fought and bled together for almost a year. You and I for much longer. We... we belong together, and I'm not letting you separate us. Even if you hate me for it now."

The resolve in her voice didn't reassure Naruto, but he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her to change her mind. Maybe after Suna, when... when she saw the damage, the terror, the destruction a Jinchuuriki could cause... maybe then she'd leave him alone, and go back where it was safe.  
Ino should be even easier to convince, once he started letting the Fox out. _It's not like I'm going to have a choice once Suna's Jinchuuriki comes out to play..._

(O)(O)(O)

Night had fallen on Ootori when Sasuke had passed the tent-city (which was continuing to grow rapidly despite the new buildings being constructed every day). More than fifty structures had been completed now, and work on the hospital and administration buildings- the two most important in the village, according to it's council- had been completely finished.

The black-haired shinobi immediately set out towards the slightly-smaller admin building, knowing that at least one of the village's elders- his own father, Fugaku, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hiashi, and one other Jonin, usually the Inuzuka Tsume, would be working late.

It took twenty minutes to reach the building itself. He'd been unable to handle the strain of moving ninja-style with the taught and painful chakra-burns on his chest. Every breath when he exerted himself felt like the blow that delivered the injury all over again. As he walked, Sasuke mused that it was a little odd. The first blow, far weaker and that he'd been able to stop the momentum of himself after only a few feet, had done the burning and poisoning. The second, a much harder blow that had knocked him more than a hundred feet and promised to do much more, had only caused superficial skin damage; it was that which Sakura had been able to heal almost instantly.  
Of course, even that skin was still quite tender. Nothing on the order of magnitude for the scar across his chest, though. _A handprint more than a foot wide on my chest... I'll probably have it for the rest of my life... well, if I ever get married, I hope she has a strong stomach._

Sasuke pouted as he climbed the stairs to the top floor. _Damn Naruto... he's got two chicks head over heels for him. _I'm_ the Chosen One, how come I can't get a date? Damn it... I almost wish I could ask _him_ for advice, but he'd never let me live it down!_

There were voices inside the first office he'd come to. Two female, two male. Hesitating only a moment, Sasuke knocked.  
The voices fell silent for a moment, then the firmer female voice called, "Enter."

When Sasuke had obeyed, he was slightly surprised to see three of the five elders already inside- everyone but his father and the rotating Jonin, as well as the older daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi. The indigo-haired princess was kneeling beside and slightly behind her father at the low table in the middle of the room, which had both Jiraiya and Tsunade on the other side. Papers were strewn across it, none blank, including a few maps.

Ignoring what was probably classified anyway, Sasuke gave a quick bow to the whole room, wondering for a moment why he'd given the princess the same low bow he'd spared to their elders (and missing her slight blush in the process, as well as the slightly amused looks on all three of the adults), before beginning his report. "Elders, I've just come from your home, Senju-hime, Jiraiya-sama. Uzumaki Naruto arrived there safely yesterday afternoon, in a terrible temper. I- we- calmed him down eventually, but this morning while Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, and I were sparring, Uzumaki took off from the house again. Due to an... injury I sustained the day before, I was unable to pursue, so Haruno, Yamanaka, and I decided that I should come and report what's going on. They were headed south-east when I last saw them, but I caught a glimpse of Yamanaka, who you may know is a sensor-type as well as her Clan abilities," the adults nodded, "was motioning further south. It is my belief that they're actually heading for Kaze no Kuni."  
"_What_?" Tsunade roared suddenly, pounding the table so that several half-full cups of tea sloshed onto the papers, "That idiot's going _there_? Why?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. He knew full well, sharingan or no, Tsunade would flatten him if he pissed her off any further. "We... we think he's going to try and get Sabaku no Gaara's help to rescue Nii Yugito."

There was a deep intake of breathe from the Hyuuga Heiress, but the adults were all unmoved. "G- Gaara? That... m... Monster? The Demon of the Sand?"

Sasuke's expression tightened, "He's a Jinchuuriki, like Naruto, not a monster. He's a _person_."

Hiashi, knowing the situation was quickly going to become untenable if left alone, put a hand on his daughter's to stall her response. Immediately, the princess fell quiet, the impartial mask covering her face again. "What my daughter refers to, Uchiha-san, implies that this Gaara, this _Jinchuuriki_ truly _is_ a monster. Not a gross, misshapen creature, but a monster as in a cold-blooded killer. There have been signs, rumors, and reports- from reliable sources- that say even Suna can't control him. As powerful as the Fourth Kazekage's Iron Sand jutsu is, even he could barely escape when the two came to blows over an assassination attempt on Gaara- hired by his own father, the Kazekage himself. He has wiped out several small villages, and entire teams of ninja, all without a scratch. He is _not_ normal. If Uzumaki-san and your other teammates are headed to get his help... I'm afraid they're in great danger."

Tsunade nodded, frowning, as she took a sip of tea, ignoring the now-empty sake bottle nearby. "I've heard plenty about that kid, too. He's Naruto's age, but he's a bastard who'll just as soon kill you as look at you. He... they're going to need our help, Jiraiya."

The other sannin nodded, "One of us, maybe. You think you can handle that guy yourself?"

She frowned again, "Well... yeah, but you can probably do it faster. Leave Yamato here in case Kumo gets antsy, or Iwa attacks with their other Jinchuuriki. We'll hold down the fort. I'm not cut out for field work anymore anyway."

Before he stood, Jiraiya leaned over and pecked Tsunade on the cheek, making her blush and growl at him. As the older gentleman slipped past Sasuke and out the door, he distinctly heard a quiet, "Heh, wait till Naruto hears I'm finally making headway with his 'mom'..."  
Suppressing his own sudden, if faint, blush, Sasuke looked toward both Tsunade and Hiashi. "Do you have any further orders for me?"

Tsunade nodded, "Yes. Take two months medical leave for your chest, and come see me at the hospital in the morning every day of that till we can get your chakra burns taken care of."

"I- how did-"

The blonde's brown eyes narrowed, "I already told you I know Yamato, too. He's one of us, he reported the whole thing- well, everything he knew- already. I was actually going to send Shizune out tomorrow to bring you back to the hospital anyway, but...  
"Anyway, I need to help Jiraiya get ready. We can finish this tomorrow, Hiashi. Have a good evening, Hinata."

_Hinata? The princess?_

The brown-haired older gentleman nodded and stood to bow as the last scion of the Senju left the room with a curt nod in Sasuke's direction. Before he could turn to leave, though, he heard a chilling male voice call out, "Uchiha-san... perhaps you and I could have a discussion- now- about why your professional attitude, which otherwise was excellent, allowed your eyes to continually stray toward my oldest daughter?"

Sasuke gulped. _Oh shit..._

Hinata, though, glared at her father. She knew full well he could see it from the corner of his eye, but he chose not to respond.  
Instead, he kept watching the suddenly-nervous young man near the door. "Well, boy? Have a... _seat_."

The casual words from her normally-formal father chilled even Hinata's bones, and she'd become quite used to him over the almost-eighteen years she'd been alive. "F-father?"

"Not now, Hinata. You may stay or go, as you decide, but he and I need to have a little chat."

Lavender eyes flickered to the young man who even now appeared to be having to force himself to kneel across from them- not directly facing Hiashi, where Tsunade had been, but in between their old positions. "I... I believe I will stay, father. Someone needs to keep you from embarrassing our Clan."

The rebuke, for he knew full well what it was, coming from his normally-shy daughter, meant a lot to Hiashi. For that alone, he decided to give the boy a chance. Despite his... _heritage_.

"So, Uchiha-san... you think my daughter is here for you to _admire_? To disrobe with your eyes while her own father is in the room?"  
Hinata's eyes widened even further than Sasuke's. She wondered, _was he? I didn't see him acting like... but... Father's eyes are better than mine, and... really?_

Meanwhile, Sasuke was already sputtering. Reflexively, perhaps to buy time to find a reply that was neither a lie nor offensive, he cast around for a moment with his eyes, saw a clear liquid in a cup that was probably Jiraiya's, and downed three swallows of high-quality sake at once.

He didn't feel the burn immediately... "S- Sir, I- I assure you, I was _not_ behaving so inappropriately! I was merely admiring her-" Here, the young man made a strangled sound that might have been 'pubes', if Sasuke had a death wish.  
Grasping his throat and coughing, fortunately facing away from the suddenly deep-red girl and her furious father. Eventually, he was able to calm himself, still wincing every few seconds while he continued, "My apologies... I... I had thought that was water, not sake. I... As I was saying, I was admiring your daughter's posture, and-"

"_Posture_?"

Hiashi's tone left no doubt as to what he believed Sasuke had _really_ been looking at. He had never wanted to admit that his little girl was now all-but a fully-grown woman, but every time he saw her, the evidence was there, staring him in the face, just like her mother's... 'fullness'... had been.  
"Y- Yes, Sir!" Sasuke choked, now actually massaging his throat with both hands, for all the good it would do, as he swallowed convulsively.

Hinata's blush was starting to subside, "Father... perhaps we should start talks with Uchiha Fugaku-dono. If Uchiha-san here is interested..."

Hiashi scowled. "I'd really rather not. Fugaku is not a man I would willingly spend more time with than necessary."

Sasuke's eyes widened once again, the pain in his throat forgotten as he realized what the two Hyuuga were referring to. "T- _Talks_? But- you can't! I- I swear, I didn't mean anything by it! She's just really pretty, and I thought I might ask her out so I didn't have to get made fun of by Naruto for not having a girlfriend!"

Hinata blushed again, softly this time, and looked away herself.  
Hiashi resumed fuming, "My _daughter_, heiress to the mighty Hyuuga Clan, is _not_ a 'girlfriend'! If she is to be pursued, it shall be a _proper_ courting! Hinata!"

"Yes, Father?" she asked as calmly as possible.  
Sasuke wasn't sure if the quiver in her voice was something from her, or his own trembling.

"Tomorrow morning, you and Hanabi-chan, along with your Uncle Hizashi and Neji-kun, will draft an invitation for our matchmaker to consult with the Uchiha matchmaker."  
"F- Father?"

The flush was suddenly gone from Hinata's cheeks, leaving her skin the color of fine porcelain again. Sasuke, though, was even whiter. His trembling was gone. In fact, Sasuke doubted he would be able to move even to blink if he tried.  
"While I am loathe to subject my daughter and Clan to an... arrangement... with the Uchiha, they _are_ a powerful Clan. You could do much worse. At least he's not a fifty-year-old man, like your grandmother had to marry."

Hinata shuddered and nodded.  
"You may go, Uchiha-san."  
Immediately, Sasuke stood (almost knocking the table over, again) and rushed for the door. As he bowed himself out, though, the Hyuuga patriarch's voice rang out again. "Oh, and Uchiha-san..."

Sasuke gulped. "S- sir?"

"You may wish to inform your _father_ about this arrangement- to give him time to create a defense if he wishes to. Otherwise, you may plan- not excecute, but _plan_- a single date between you and my daughter torwards the end of your medical leave. I will leave the specifics up to you. When you are complete, bring this plan to me for approval. Until then... I would prefer you see as little of my daughter as possible."

With a quick acknowledgment and bow, Sasuke fled.

After his feet had been heard pounding down the stairs, Hiashi turned toward his daughter with a small smile, one he hadn't worn since her mother died giving birth to his younger child, "Well, Hinata, he seems like a fine young man, despite his family. I suppose being brought up by the Uchiha Prodigy, Itachi, did him some good after all."

Beside him, Hinata fainted.

Hiashi smiled even harder.

(O)(O)(O)

"'Hime," Jiraiya muttered, trying to move past the buxom blonde and out the door of his apartment, "I don't have time for this. Naruto's going to need me sooner rather than later."

But the Senju's last descendent would not be swayed. "No. He can wait while we _talk_ about this. What the hell was that for? Answer me, damn it, I'm tired of asking!"

Jiraiya looked away for a moment, thinking hard. _Truth, or lies... Neither's ever worked before... is it too late? Is it possible she'll never see me that way? She's certainly said it enough. Either way I have to do _something_... but what?_

After a few more seconds, the Sage of Mount Myōboku took a calming breath and did something he'd never been able to do before. He went with the truth- while looking into her brown eyes. "Tsunade, I've been in love with you since I was ten. All the years between then and now, there has never been another woman for me. _Ever_. There never will be. _Ever_. That's what it meant. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to our son."

But Tsunade didn't move. Instead, he saw in the shadows (his lights had been turned off in preparation for his departure) that her eyes suddenly glistened with tears. "Jiraiya... I... after Dan, I... I never wanted..."

The white-haired man nodded, "I know. That's why I never pushed it. I just... you asked, so I told you. That's all. Move, please."

She did. Not aside, though. Instead, she grabbed the lapels of his haori and spun him around, slamming him into the door before mashing her lips to his feverishly.

He didn't notice his pack sliding from his fingers, only realized it'd happened when he felt her corn-silk locks between them.

Several minutes later, the most powerful kunoichi withdrew, panting. She didn't go far, though. Instead, she settled back flat on her geta, and leaned her forehead on his broad chest. She didn't remove her hands from his haori, nor he from the small of her back and neck. "Jiraiya... I can't lose another one."

He nodded, "I don't plan on going anywhere, Tsunade. You'll beat me to the grave by a long time, with the Genesis Jutsu you've already used too much. It's going to kill me when... when..."

She nodded against him, this time wrapping her arms around his waist. "All right, you old pervert... we can give it a shot. _After_ you bring our son and daughter home."

Inwardly, Jiraiya couldn't help but dance a super-happy-dance. Outwardly, "I know, 'Hime. I'll bring them back as soon as I can. And the stray blonde, too."

Tsunade frowned as he gently pushed her away and headed out the door.  
He was at the end of the hall, half-way hidden from view down the stairs, when she poked her head out, locking the door with her key behind her, "Oh, and Jiraiya?"  
He turned his head over his shoulder, grinning like a fool (which, she knew, he would freely admit to being).  
"This is _not_ free license to perv on me. Or anyone. Ever... again. You got it?"

He gulped and nodded, taking the warning for what it was. _Hell, even though we'd been apart for ten years, she still found out right away I hadn't exactly been celibate... what'd she do to me if I came back after screwing around _now_?_  
Jiraiya shuddered again, then broke into an anxious run.

(O)(O)(O)

At the bottom of a gorge, flowed a river.

In this river valley was a very large stone, which bore a ragged paper seal.  
Behind that seal was a cavern, far too large and even to be carved by a river.  
Spread in a semi-circle around the center of the cavern- both vertically and horizontally- were several shadowy figures, the only color of which visible were the eyes.  
Against one wall, a statue several dozen feet tall, the only distinguishable features of which were nine great eyes, four closed and the other five apparently alive, as they roved around the cavern aimlessly.  
The figures in the center of the room were each standing on what, at first glance, appeared to be a stone pillar unevenly carved.

Upon closer inspection, one might find that they were actually part of the statue, fingers, in fact, stretching upwards from open hands. The uneven surfaces were actually whorls and ridges of fingerprints, none quite the same as any other.

These figures were silent, each one watching the single masked figure who floated, perfectly solid and quite there, in the center of the semi-circle. "Pein... you have rebuilt the Akatsuki at last."

One figure, a gaunt-looking man with long hair dressed in loose, flowing robes with blue-circled irises, nodded, "I have, Lord Madara. Orochimaru's betrayal and the loss of the blue ring of Sky had been remedied. A new ring has been created, and is being worn by our newest member, Han, formerly of Iwagakure."

A long-haired male shadow, looking over at the armored figure, "Han-kun, hm? So he's suicidal? Hmph."

Madara nodded, "He would not be the first Jinchuuriki allied with our cause, Deidara. Nihilism is as common a mental vice as any other for a ninja. Rest assured, if Pein believes he will remain loyal, then remain loyal he will."

Each of the others, barring Pein himself, acknowledged their leader in some fashion. Turning toward the member who was now right in the middle seniority-wise, the masked Madara asked, "Guren, you are absolutely sure that your old master, Orochimaru, is too busy dealing with his paranoia about the return of Konoha to interfere in the near future?"

The kunoichi, one of only two in the organization, nodded, "Yes, Lord Madara. The Snake has been obsessed with possibly capturing the Three-Tails, but he daren't go against the new Mizukage, and she has bolstered Kiri's forces and defenses drastically since forcing the end of the Purges."  
Madara nodded to himself. "Very well. You know your assignments, then, aside from you, Kisame and Guren. Do _not_ interfere with Sasori and Deidara's capture of the One-Tails. If you can capture the Uzumaki safely before he reaches the city, you may do so, but stay out of their way otherwise. Also please remember chakra binders on the Uzumaki if you do capture him, all of you. After rebuilding the statue with the Seven-Tails' incident, I'd rather not have to deal with the Nine at any point while we capture and seal the other three."  
"Lord Madara," the other woman spoke, her voice melodious and soft, but with a razor's edge that made most of the members shiver, "What of Hidan and Kakuzu's prize? Should we not delay capturing the One and Nine, if we have the Two in custody?"  
The mask shook sideways and back, "No. The Nekomata will be fine in their care for now, but with the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni in Sunagakure, now is an ideal time for Deidara and Sasori to capture the One-Tails. It is hardly inconceivable, I think, to imagine _collateral_ damage occurring to Kaze's royal line, correct? Destabilization of the entire south of the continent would result from their death. This is the higher priority right now."  
The woman backed off at once with a nod.  
It was, after all, correct.

"Go, then, members of the Akatsuki. Our goal is closer every day. Don't let us all down."

With nine nods, each figure vanished, leaving Madara alone in the cavern with the statue. "Well," he mused to himself, "if Uzumaki can evade Kisame and Guren long enough, Gaara will either be ours or on his way to Tsuchi to further weaken them before we move in. Damn Kumo... how did the Eight-Tails bond so completely to that rapping idiot? Even with the Two-Tails out of the way, it's still not worth attacking Kaminari no Kuni until we basically control the continent. Oh well... what's twenty years when you're going to live forever?"

(O)(O)(O)

At the bottom of a gorge, flowed a river.

Along the banks of this river, three ninja paused to rest for lunch. The two females, though in much better shape than the blonde had ever been and the rosette had been in years, were in desperate need of a breather. The male, a blonde himself, though of a more golden tone to her platinum, seemed unaffected by the two-day run.  
"N- Naruto," the taller kunoichi, the blonde, called over to him from across the small clearing at the water's edge, "We need to take a break. An hour or so, eat, sit down, before we go to Suna. We'll need to rest during the day on the way, too, or we won't be rested enough to fight when we get there."

Woodenly, he nodded, but didn't face either of them.  
"You think he's still mad?"  
Ino nodded at Sakura's question, "'course he is. I'd be furious. He was only trying to protect us. That Genjutsu you pulled was perfect or he'd have gotten away with it, and we'd never see him again. Good thing you did it. Doesn't make him being mad at us any easier though."

The shorter kunoichi nodded with a sad frown, "No... but he'll come around. I know he will. He's Naruto."

Weakly, Ino smiled. "Yeah... I really wish I had better news for you, Sakura, but... there's some bad news I have to give you."

"What's that?" she replied, all-but throwing herself down onto a mossy log and pulling a trail bar out o her pack.

"I... it's about Naruto."

Sakura was silent for a bit aside from her chewing. She watched as Naruto's shoulders heaved with a sigh, then as he knelt and splashed his face with the river water. "Go on," she prompted after a few minutes.

"I... I don't know what to do. I tried, I really did, but I can't... just can't get over him. Ever since that mind-walk... I talked to Daddy about it and everything. It's not... it's not related to that. It can develop empathy between the 'Walker and 'Walkee, but nothing like... like this."

Sakura's hand, only half-consciously, slipped into Ino's. "You love him very much. You just don't know what to do about it, right?"

Beside her, Ino nodded.

"Well... I can't tell you what to do. You know that. It's not even anything to do with a conflict of interest. It's just..."

Ino nodded again, "Yeah."

"Just... promise me this, okay?"  
A half-hearted grunt from the blonde prompted Sakura to continue. "What- whatever happens between us and Naruto, we stay friends. With each other, and with him. No hard feelings. He... he needs us both, and I'm pretty sure we both need him. And... I hate to say this with how we got along at first, but... I really like having a friend who's an actual girl."

Ino's reply was cut off by Naruto's voice. At first, Sakura was relieved to hear him at least kind of joking, until the words sunk in, "So, Sakura... I'm starting to worry about us. I mean, in the last three days, my girlfriend's kissed another girl _twice_, she's holding that same girl's hand, and you've just called her your only girl friend."

And then Naruto had to run for his life, even though a good portion of Sakura was wondering if that was, in fact, what Ino was to her.

After all, her relationship with both blondes had many parallels... the only real difference seemed to be their own personalities and gender.

"Nah," she whispered to herself, still chasing Naruto across the rapidly-thinning scrub grass as they headed deeper into Suna, "that's no more realistic than him saying stuff like that to manipulate us into hurrying and skipping the break."

Slightly behind and to Sakura's right, Ino's conscious thoughts were slipping further and further away as she struggled to keep up.

Instead, her brain's only logical processes seemed to be focused on a point-by-point comparison of the relative joys in watching Naruto's and Sakura's asses as they ran ahead of her.

By the time they stopped three-quarters of the way through the desert, Naruto actually a bit winded, she hadn't decided in either one's favor.

**A/N2:** So... again, **_please read this_**, at least the first few lines.  
The second (and just as important) reason I haven't been updating nearly as quickly on this is that I hit a major stride in writing Harry Potter(HP) fics shortly before DH2 came out, and for some odd reason, despite finishing a fic I'd started months and months before and left in the dust, and starting (and half completing) five more, I'm _still_ on that same kick. Rest assured, I won't be leaving the Naruto fandom pretty much ever, but still... I am branching out.  
The bad news is less time per fic, which means slightly slower updates.  
The good, though... I have one fic done (it's last chapter and epilogue are due to be posted on Sunday the 28th of this month, which is 2 days from the time of writing this), two others half-done, and at least three in the works. They include the (completed) Harry/Lavender story, _Blue-Eyed Doe_, a Harry/Ginny called _Post-Traumatic Stress_, which I won't be posting until complete (half done), a purely Harry/Hermione with no name yet, and a Hermione/Harem (yes, you read that right, a Hermione/Harem, not Harry/Harem- but it's NOT a bunch of males. Only two, and two does not a harem make), and lastly (so far), a Harry/Hermione that later becomes a Harry/Luna (not both). These stories are all at least partially in the works, and as I said before, the Harry/Lavender is already mostly posted- 9 out of 10.5 chapters, the last 1.5 coming up in two days. So if you're a HP fan, go read them please.  
And as always, **_please __review_**_!_

**Glossary:**

**Sabaku no Gaara, the Demon of the Sand**: Yes, that's Gaara of the Desert. However similar his life was up 'till he turned twelve to canon (consider it identical for all purposes), he has had an additional 6 years of pain and suffering. He has had six more years to become _in_famous. Demon of the Bloody Mist, Zabuza? Would not hold a candle to the Demon of the Sand, Gaara. This isn't your happy-go-lucky(heh) Gaara from canon, this is a cold, blood-thirsty killer of the highest order.

For now, anyway. I don't want to spoil my plans for him. :) Just as a note: Yes, his father's still the Kazekage. Temari is his sister. Kankuro... I haven't decided if Gaara hasn't killed him or not, yet. I like the guy (he's a perv and not too subtle about it), but I can't see him and a crazy Gaara getting along that long without him getting whacked. We'll see.

**Han**: Yep, that's the Five-Tails Jinchuuriki. I'm keeping him mostly canon, as in the Steam-use and hatred of all humanity (he wants to kill as many as possible before he needs to be sealed, then can die in peace knowing Madara won't let them be asinine any more, and no that's not a spoiler). However, for the sake of argument, let's just say he has a natural Water affinity, and the Fire and Air aspects of Steam came from the Five-Tails. The armor protects him from the heat and vapor, and the tank on his back is compressed so it shoots farther than he can easily manipulate with chakra- it's a ranged weapon (and is likely that way in canon, too, though I haven't read such a thing yet).

**Guren**: Yep, that's the Guren from filler arc (3-tails retrieval) too. She's essentially identical to canon, except not so loyal to Orochimaru. Once the snake-teme killed her young friend (the kid from the arc) to capture the 3-tails and failed even doing that, her loyalty waned quite a lot. Then she got a better offer from Sasori and Madara, and took it. The only timeline difference with Akatsuki is that Guren has been a member for a bit, and is middle-of-the-group in seniority. That does NOT mean she's been a member for a long time, like Kakuzu or Hidan. It just means that, aside from Hidan, Kakuzu, Pein, and Konan, she was recruited before Kisame, Zetsu, Deidara and now Han. (I guess counting Madara she's still below the middle, but meh) She still uses Crystal Release, looks the same, has the same personality (and is actually wanting to use Akatsuki to get revenge on Orochimaru- that is a stated goal of theirs- though she only wants it for killing her surrogate son.

The other kunoichi is, of course, Konan- though a lot colder now than she is in canon, 3 years later.

**Pain/Madara stuff**: Not a real entry, it's not going in the actual full Glossary, but worth noting: Yes, Madara runs Akatsuki in the open now. Pain is still possibly stronger, but is unable to beat Madara anyway, so has stepped aside- though, of course, he's only biding his time for another shot at taking charge. He doesn't want the world subjugated under Madara, he wants it to feel his pain. Konan and Pain are a bit strained in their relationship, given how weak the Six Paths make him.

**Seven-Tails Incident**: Just a bit of humorous backstory: Fuu's Rhinocerous Beetle Bijuu didn't take kindly to being sealed, and the power was great enough that, weakened as they were (Guren had only just joined, and the other members were not there yet), the six of them had issues containing it for the duration of the jutsu. As a result, the statue was destroyed, and Madara had to basically go crazy- he was playing Tobi at the time- to contain the others they'd already captured in temporary seals while he rebuilt the statue. This, of course, also meant he had to subdue Fuu (that was actually done by Pain), which almost killed her, making the second attempt much easier. It was revealing Tobi's power that caused him to eventually show them all who he truly was.  
In this fic, note, Yagura (3rd or 4th- not sure which- Kazekage, and Jinchuuriki of the 3-tails for a while) was controlled by, but not replaced by, Madara- and is dead, but let the Bijuu go before he died to keep it from the Akatsuki a bit longer).

**REPEATED with an error fix: **Note that the previous printing of this (in Chapter 26) said that, in step 2, the loss of ninja population was 92%. That was a mistype- at that time, it was 82%, corrected in this version. The later deaths came with the sacrifice mentioned at the end of step 2, bringing the death toll up to approx 90%. Factual numbers are non-existent, as even Jiraiya and Tsunade couldn't stay to count with a Genin-level Shizune and two babies to care for.

**History Lesson #1:** This, again is an entry based largely on assumptions and/or misunderstandings voiced by the above reviewer- who I share no ill will toward, by the way- so thank him (or her?) for it later if it clears anything up for you. This stuff could be important, but isn't likely to come up in the story- the characters know it, it's all fact for them, so they don't discuss it much. Just consider it assumed knowledge in the younger generation- they'd have been taught it- and things the older actually experienced.

The (very rough) timeline of events that lead to Konoha's dissolution:  
1: Madara's sending the Kyuubi against Konoha. At first, I debated whether I would keep it as canon was (the story was begun before the details of that day- involving Kushina etc- were revealed), but I think I can go with it. It just requires minor tweak of what I thought was the accurate time line of that day (one hour's worth... what a coincidence! … not!).

This had the effect of greatly weakening Konoha's forces, and decimating it's civilian population. Remember, Konoha is in _ruins_ because of the Kyuubi. Much of it, including the Hokage Monument- which was pulled off the mountain and down to bury a good chunk of the village- was laid to utter waste, and plants have a hard time growing in areas where the Kyuubi stopped for a while due to the chakra taint that is still there. On the eve of her death, after Naruto has been taken by Minato to perform the sealing but before she leaves to join him, Kushina slips into a chakra-induced trance, and gives a prophecy. The exact contents will be revealed later, but it stated that if Konoha was to have any hope at all of a future, they would have to rise from the ashes of their demise, under the guidance of the Destined Child- which to those in the know, was a clear reference to either Nagato-Pein, or Naruto, since Yondaime was already planning to sacrifice himself, and those in the know knew that Naruto was both Minato's child and Jiraiya's godson, whom he had planned on training from the day he found out Kushina was pregnant. Still, even though the prophecy- or at least rumor of it- spread like wildfire, no one was willing to abandon Konoha. So they stayed, and fought, and...

2: Several smaller nations and one larger- Iwa, Grass, Rain, Waterfall, Iron, Oto- attacked Konoha in their moment of weakness. Kumo, Kiri, and later Suna, along with all of the minor villages aside from Yu and River- who had no shinobi or samurai forces of note- joined in the attack, laying waste to about half of the total population of Hi no Kuni, and killing another third of the ninja population, and a quarter again of the civilian population of Konoha. This lead the total death toll in Hi to about 65% of the civilian population, including the entire family of the Daimyo (there is, in fact, no one higher than the rough equivalent to a baron left in that country at this time), and 82% of the shinobi population. The few Samurai that were spared- they were cut from about 8000 to 1250- were hard-pressed to even defend their local towns and homes, and have since dwindled in number as lawlessness ran rampant. Here, the first few Clans to leave- mostly minor ones, like the Furoshi- began to vanish in the still of night. Later, once it became clear that there was no way they could win, more and more Clan leaders began listening to the urgings of Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had already taken Naruto and Sakura (along with Shizune) into seclusion, and prepared for departure.  
In a final act of defiance, nearly half of every remaining Clan elected to stay behind, hoping the ruse that they were fighting to the last would help the rest escape.  
The plan worked, but...

3: The above effects- decrease in peace keeping forces and a subsequent increase in crimes, especially violent ones, further cut the population, more by virtue of people moving away than actually killed. The forces belonging to the other lands withdraw about six months after Konoha falls, with Oto taking a large- very- chunk out of Hi, and assuming it's place amongst the Five Great Nations, due in large part to them also assaulting and taking over Kusa while the Grass ninja were in Hi recovering from their part in the battle. The Clans and other survivors scatter, some into hiding, some become wanderers, and some- like the Inuzuka, Yamanaka, and Nara, return to their ancient homes from before Konoha was founded and resume their lives as close to normal as they can, waiting for the day their hope returns- and praying that they aren't wiped out like so many of their friends and allies were.

4: Story begins 17.5 years later, when Naruto's almost exactly half-way to eighteen.

Anyway, some of that, as I said, could be retold in-story. Sorry if I repeat myself later, but it's not a bad thing that you know now. I suppose I could have made it more clear early on, but meh, hindsight and all that. Until next time, once again!


	28. Chapter 28: Four Steps Back!

**A/N:** Well, I haven't the mental wherewithal to proof this chapter, so... I hope the errors are minimal. And hey, no long wait this time! I don't want to spoil the fun this time, so just get readin'. :)

**Chap. 28 Four Steps Back!**

"Damn it! How did he slip past us all those traps?"

Sakura scowled into the desert on the far side of the scrublands that bordered Kaze no Kuni's eastern edge, "Doesn't matter, does it? We know where he's going. I should have realized he'd use that crazy stamina of his. But even he'll be tired with only a couple hours' rest or so. We should just break camp and catch up as fast as we can."

The taller blonde scowled as well, "Tch, fine, whatever. I can't believe that idiot, though, running off without backup!"

Both turned toward their campsite again, breaking it down as quickly and efficiently as they could.

Five minutes later, the two kunoichi dashed sandy dirt over the small fire pit and stood up, nodded firmly to each other, and began to run southwest, with the sun still low on the horizon behind them.  
"Ino," Sakura said quietly a while later, as the rocky terrain started to give way to the dunes Suna was famous for being surrounded by, "What's the plan when we get there? If I know Naruto, it's already going to be a firefight."

"Donno, Sakura," the other replied, "the best I can come up with is 'find Naruto and get the hell out'. But I doubt he'll come willingly. There's a chance he's using diplomatic tactics, but... it's Naruto."

Sakura sighed.

After that, the two saved their breath for only running.

A few dune or two away, mostly behind but paralleling their path, two black-robed figures moved (one with surprising speed given his bulk) across the sand. Neither appeared to be straining, however.

The shorter, much larger one spoke. His voice was gravelly and rough, but was easily heard by his companion, "Deidara, why don't you go on ahead to Suna. I'll take care of the Nine-Tail's companions and catch up. Avoid harming any of my sleepers. You _do_ remember them, don't you?"

"Of course, Sasori-dono. Hm. All right. I'll probably have brought down the One-Tails by the time you get there. How hard can it be? Hm."

Without another word, the taller individual, who at first glance could have been Ino's older brother, both for his hair and eye coloring, not to mention build, withdrew a hand from the only pouch he carried, muttered a few words, and jumped lightly onto the back of the white clay-bird.

Moments later it was soaring into the sky.

"Now," the larger being growled to himself, "time to take out the trash."

(O)(O)(O)

"What's your business in Sunagakure no Sato?"

The guard was a tall, reedy-looking man with a small goatee and black hair that was just starting to go gray. Naruto spotted several others, but they were far enough back he thought he could fight his way through... but had learned his lesson the hard way. Ten guards you can see mean fifty you can't, and that changed things.  
"I'm just a visitor. Well... I thought I might see about joining Suna. I've had some ninja training, my old sensei was a Jonin from- from Konoha, back in the day."

_The more true the lie is, the better... _

"Huh. I haven't heard that one in at least a week. Show me a jutsu, kid, and maybe I'll think about it."

Naruto shrugged. "Any jutsu?"

The older man nodded, "Don't try anything funny, though. If it's offensive, aim out at the desert."

The younger ninja nodded, took another glance at the narrow split in the village's stone wall, and put together his hands for a moment, blurring through three signs.

_Kid's speed isn't bad..._  
"Oiroke no Jutsu!"

When the buxom, mist-clad girl replaced the boy he'd just been speaking to, several of the guards behind him fainted. Obviously, it was more than just a simple transformation.

Unfortunately for Naruto, the Captain of the Guard, Yuura was simply not... interested. Therefore, his only reaction was to scoff, "All right, kid, I can see you can use Chakra, but that's not what I'd call a useful technique."

Naruto shrugged, "Well, it sure worked on my old Sensei. I have another, but I hear it's pretty common. I'm good at it, though, so..."

The guard shrugged. At least the kid was breaking up the monotony of the day, "All right, but this is your last chance. Show me something good."

Naruto turned away from the gate, making the decision that this was simply taking too long. He faked two more hand-signs than necessary (one at the start and one at the end) to disguise the jutsu, then spun around, unleashing a torrential gale straight through the narrow entrance to the city.

As Yuura tumbled away, Naruto kept careful count, even while he followed at a sprint, "That's six or more Jonin, and at least five Chunin, taken out by one jutsu. _Man_ I'm good!"

But Naruto missed at least one team, the three Genin of which were practicing the ever-entertaining gate duty. Their Sensei had been one of the ones taken out with the boy's first jutsu, but the kids were young enough not to be very affected by it, and had stayed under cover as was their instructions for the day unless needed.

As a result, after the intruder had blasted several of the guards out of hiding or their posts, including the village councilmen who lead the guard, the three panicked just a little, before their leader, a quiet young man with some decent measure of intelligence, formed a plan. "All right. I'm going to head up to the guard post and sound the alarm- I can run fastest. You two start checking for w-wounded. D-d-don't freak out, just help everyone you can!"  
The other two, just as nervous as their leader, nodded. It was their duty. Even if they were newly-minted Genin, and had not expected combat or dangerous situations like this, they had taken oaths to defend their city with their lives, if necessary.

It was just their bad luck that today was that day.

So it was that, before Naruto had even cleared the long choke-point, an alarm rang out at both the ninja corp's largest (and two smaller) barracks, and the Kazekage's mansion.

At the latter location, four pairs of eyes blinked once, before their owners lurched into action- one much more sedately than the other three.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino, exhausted by the heavy pace and difficult climate, slipped on one landing. That was the only thing that saved her life.

Sakura, who had only paused on her next jump to let the blonde recover and catch up, was several dozen feet away when the steel weapon-tail-thing lashed down at the blonde again, who was watching it in sudden fear.

It had, apparently, taken her completely by surprise.

_Weak, foolish children. This will be easy._  
Sasori shook himself, revealing the large cloak and hat from underneath the dunes at last.  
Sakura gasped, "A-Akatsuki! Ino, _run_! They're after Naruto!"

But the chilling voice of their enemy laughed, "You think to escape me in the desert, girl? I am Akasuna no Sasori, the Red Scorpion. This land was my home, and I know it better than any other. Spare yourself the effort, and just die. Your _friend_ the Jinchuuriki will be following you soon enough."

The two girls, now next to each other, shared a worried look while the creature shuffled slowly toward them. "D- do we run, or fight? I mean... Jiraiya-sama says these guys are _really_ dangerous, but... I don't want him getting near Naruto."

Ino gulped. "I... What's that weapon he's using? That could give us a clue about how to defeat him."

The international criminal chuckled to himself. Mere girls, defeating the greatest Puppeteer to ever come from Sunagakure? What were the odds of that?

At once, the rosette turned her mind to the task at hand, "He's going... probably, anyway, to have more weapons than that. I don't know how he's controlling it, but it looks like some kind of chakra-strings, like a puppet. Maybe it's ninja-wire, but if it is, I can't see it in the bright sunlight, and the controls _really_ good if it is."

Sasori paused for a moment, "Very insightful, little girl. They are, indeed, chakra-strings. I am a puppeteer. I am rather surprised you haven't heard of me."

Both girls blinked and took a few steps back. Ino shrugged, "Should we have? I mean, we know you're with Akatsuki, so you're apparently S-Ranked, but what does that mean, really?"

Their opponent didn't respond. Instead, he only continued to stalk closer, letting them watch his tail as it began to wave slowly, letting the judge the length carefully, while he kept a few dozen links in reserve.

"Well, if he's a puppeteer," Sakura said, now guiding her companion to walk backwards slowly with an hand on her arm, "he'll also use lots of poison, and maybe more than one puppet. They're often weak in Tai- and Nin-jutsu, but several use Genjutsu, since the strings require high chakra control."

Sasori nodded, "You are, again, insightful. Are you a puppeteer yourself, by any chance?"

Sakura smirked, "No... but my Shishio spent a lot of time fighting Suna's Elder Chiyo a couple of Great Ninja Wars ago, so I've learned a few things."

That made Sasori stop in his tracks. "Chiyo-baa-san... your master, was she Senju Tsunade, of the Sannin?"

Now, Sakura and Ino both froze again, surprised. Hesitantly, Sakura nodded, "Y-yes. How did you know that?"

Sasori laughed, "Elder Chiyo was my grandmother, and I learned puppetry at her feet, though I surpassed her mastery decades ago. She and Tsunade had a rather intense rivalry at the time; my mother concocting newer, more dangerous potions, and the medic making antidotes for them. They never conclusively proved who was better, but... your medical skills will not be sufficient for my poisons, because, as I said, I surpassed my grandmother long ago."

Sakura frowned, "Well... I can't claim to know everything Lady Tsunade does, but we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Ino nodded firmly, and the two jumped apart just as the tail crashed down where they had been standing a moment before.  
"Heh," Sasori growled, flicking his eyes between the two kunoichi, who now flanked him, "A basic tactic, and ineffective against me. You, girl," he pointed with his tail toward Sakura, "may actually be able to harm my body. Your friend is useless."

Ino frowned, "I don't think so."

Her fist crashed against the cloth-covered face, and Ino screamed.  
Sasori laughed, and moved one hand to cover his face for a moment, pulling off the cloth as he did so. "You see, girl? You may as well be punching a tree. I am protected everywhere!"

His other hand suddenly whipped off the cloak, revealing his entire puppet body.

"Oh," Sakura frowned, "So that's all? Let me guess... armored back, several hidden weapons... and..."  
_I never, ever thought I'd need to use this in battle, but... here goes!_ "Kaniere wa Tsuchi!"

At once, Sasori sunk two feet into the sand, trapping both hands and feet underneath himself. She knew it wouldn't hold him long, but...

Left, right, jump forward, roll right, hop back, kunai deflect behind... _now!_

Sakura, displaying the results of twelve years' (since she was six) evasion training with Tsunade, avoided the tail's blinding speed with relative ease.  
A single punch to the center of the back was all it took for the puppet to disintegrate, revealing the being inside.

"I'm impressed, girl. I didn't think anyone would ever be able to learn the secrets of Tsunade's earth breaker technique."

Sakura, who had just jumped away from the shell in the opposite direction of the again-cloaked, if much smaller, form, smirked. "That's not all she's taught me."  
The red-headed, child-like figure (who looked rather similarly to Naruto in his youth, she was surprised to note) nodded, "This I believe. However... while Hiruko was my main battle-puppet, it is hardly the most useful in my arsenal. What would you do, against, say, this?"

His hand, which, Sakura and Ino noted with fear, was segmented as a puppet's would be, suddenly split, revealing a tube.

A moment later, many hundred senbon began shooting out, blurring across the intervening space between he and Sakura.

Ino, meanwhile, had not been idle. _Come on, you can do it, Ino... he's got to be _somewhere_ around here, or he wouldn't be able to maintain accuracy..._

She was focusing as best she could, while laying prone on the other side of a dune to stay out of Sasori's line-of-fire, in an attempt to use her innate chakra-sensor abilities.

Unfortunately, while her father was talented at it and she knew she had the ability, she had never put much effort into that aspect of her own training. As a result, she couldn't believe what her abilities were telling her- that there _was_ no puppet-master around. It was just the puppets, and they were acting on their own.

With a huff, Ino poked her blonde head up over the edge of the dunes, worked her family hand-sign, and muttered, "_Forced Possession Jutsu!_"

Three minutes later, the stream of senbon from Sasori's right hand stopped, the device inside clicking several times as it attempted to fire while empty.

A moment after, Ino opened her eyes with a gasp, spitting out the sand she'd gotten in her mouth when her body collapsed. "Damn it," she hissed, "it's like there isn't even a brain there! What's going on?"

Sakura, panting, wiped what seemed to be a gallon of sweat from her forehead, "Looks like your ammo's gone. My turn?"

Sasori laughed again, "Girl, you can take all the turns you want. You'll never beat me. Because of _this_!"

Her eyes widened. Sasori had just thrown his second cloak open, revealing most of his body- it was all a puppet, not just the arm and face.

Then she was slightly distracted by the multitude of arms, each wielding a kunai dripping with purple poison, splitting off from his left to bury her under an avalanche of toxins, steel, and wood.

Ino quivered a moment while the dust from his attack cleared.  
She knew there was no way to stand up against him with her skills; a puppeteer who could remain hidden from her sensor abilities was almost the perfect counter to a Yamanaka. And if Sakura, who was almost the perfect counter to puppets with her many antidotes, medical abilities, and extreme raw strength, couldn't beat him...

But Naruto would not give up. So neither could she.  
Risking another glance over the dune, Ino began analyzing her opponent, kicking her limited sensor abilities to the utmost.

_Yes, right there... chakra strings... he's still using Hiruko, or at least he's ready... and they go back to... his other puppet? But that's just a puppet too. Is he maybe using it in a chain? That'd lower his speed a lot, but I guess it's possible..._

Two arms squirmed a little to move inside the forest of wooden limbs. The first to open Sakura's weapon pouch, the other to tap a seal on it's inside cover.  
The weapon inside that seal crushed several of the limbs when it appeared, the higher density steel pushing the lower out of the space suddenly occupied by both of them. This had the secondary effect of also giving the medic more room to breathe, "Whew. I don't think I got hit... Don't know how, but I think I'm good... if I can just swing... _Oh yeah_!"

It was only a few inches, but with the strength she'd learned from her master, that was plenty of time to build crushing momentum.

The forest of arms shattered into a hailstorm of splinters and poisoned shrapnel, forcing even Ino, who was dozens of feet away, to duck back behind the dune.

When she peeked again, her friend and rival for love was stepping out of the pile of limbs, which had been hewn off at her waist height, with a massive halberd over her shoulder.  
The weapon appeared to be made from a single, uninterrupted piece of steel, the only variation on it's surface the leather wrapping most of the handle.  
It was a simple design, with a weighted end for clubbing, a long spike for piercing hard armor, and an axe-head as big as Ino's torso for doing massive damage to softer targets. All in all, Ino was both scared and impressed. She'd known Sakura was strong, but that thing probably weighed more than all four of their unofficial team put together, and the medic didn't even seem affected by it's weight.

"All right, Sasori of the Red Sand," Sakura said sadly, "I hate to do this to a ninja of your history and ability, but I'm afraid it's over. I have to put you down."

Sasori only laughed again, "Do you really think that'll make a difference, girl? I have _hundreds_ up puppets, and I only have to hit you once! In fact... I already have."  
Sakura and Ino blinked.

The red-headed puppet used his (again intact) right arm to poke his left cheek, "You've got a bit of blood on you. Don't worry, the poison in those kills quickly- you won't suffer for more than three days before you're gone."

Ino paled. That simply would not do.

Blindly, she activated her family jutsu again, "_Forced Possession Jutsu!_", but her aim was a little off, perhaps guided by instinct, or maybe her subconscious mind having reached the only conclusion left, impossible as it was.

Thirty seconds later, Sasori blinked, shuddered, and looked at the medic with something approaching an emotion other than hate. "Sakura!" he cried, "Do it quick! I- I can't hold- he's too- his heart!"

"No, girl! I don't know how you- what you- this is _my_ body, and _I_ control it! It is my masterpiece!"

With a jerk of his head, the hate returned to the artificial eyes, and Sasori snarled.  
At the same time, his one working hand ripped the cloak completely off, and Sakura understood.

A big, giant, pulsing weak spot, which Sakura spotted at the same moment Hiruko's tail smashed into her from behind, throwing her forward toward Sasori's main body, who at once converted the ruin of his left hand into a long, of course poisoned, spike, which he set to receive her.

"Sakura!" Ino cried, but she was too far away.  
There was nothing she could do.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto dodged what felt like the thousandth kunai of the day, and continued to ignore the ninja setting himself in his path. "Leave me alone!" he cried, "I only want to talk to Gaara! I'm not trying to kill anybody!"

If anything, that made them fight even harder. Who knew what that monster would do if he was provoked?

"That's far enough, kid," said a calm voice ahead of him.  
Naruto, perhaps surprised by the tone, actually paused in his run toward the largest building in the city (he thought they were buildings, at least- the round structures had holes he thought were windows). The figure was obviously a ninja, judging by the headband, but was not wearing any indicator of rank. The only thing he wore, in fact, was a black body-suit with cat-ears, and terrible kabuki-style makeup. His only gear was something furry on one end and wrapped in bandages strapped to his back with more of the same. "I don't want to have to hurt you, but you aren't getting to see Gaara."

"Look, I donno who you are," Naruto pleaded, "but I _have_ to see him. I- I need his help."

That made several of the surrounding ninja laugh.  
His new opponent, who practically oozed confidence, frown. "Gaara doesn't help anybody. You're better off doing it alone, whatever it is. Not that we can just let you leave to do it... not after what you've done."

Naruto scowled, suddenly yelling again, "I haven't hurt anybody! I haven't even broken much, even if I could have! Just let me talk to him! Just ten minutes, that's all I need!"

"No!" the black-clad figured cried, "That monster's never going to see anyone as long as he lives, if our father has his say!"

Naruto froze. "His... your... you're his brother?"

The enemy sneered, "That monster's no brother of mine. He's tried to kill me six times since he was born. He's better off put down, except no one can even get close to him. The Kazekage ordered his death after he killed our uncle when he was seven after he killed our uncle. Do you have any idea how many of Suna's citizens he killed before we locked him up? _Hundreds_."

Naruto stood up straight and tall, before walking toward the other ninja, who didn't react other than to cross his arms before his chest.  
When they were merely a foot apart, Naruto whispered, "Do you know why?"  
The other ninja shook his head.  
"It's because people like you didn't ever give him a chance. Jinchuuriki are just as human as you... or I. They have a burden to carry, and you make that harder every time you say they are monsters. Every time you make them cry. Every single hurt you inflict on them. If I... if I hadn't been brought up by people who loved me, by people who cared... I would be a thousand times worse. But because I was, I know... I know what it's like. It's _you_ who's the monster, because of the way your dad and you treat your own brother. Now get out of my way, _monster_, before I show you what a real monster can do."

In response, the ninja jumped back five feet and whipped the puppet from his back.

Before it was unwound, Naruto's fist crashed through it, sending it to the ground in pieces after the vicious back-hand.

"Crow!" the puppeteer cried.  
Naruto scowled. "Your last warning. _Get. Out. Of. My. Way._"

"I got this, Kankuro," a feminine voice called from atop the roof of a building a few houses away.  
Grumbling, the black-clad boy withdrew, and Naruto looked up, still ignoring the mass of ninja around him, who were at least maintaining their distance now.  
He saw a tall, leggy blonde with an unusual four-pigtail style, dressed in loose, lavender-colored clothing with a breastplate, and carrying a large fan as tall as she was. Like his previous opponent, she wore a Suna headband.  
"I'm Sabaku no Temari, that's my little brother Kankuro. So tell me, _Jinchuuriki... _why is it that you've come? You have to realize that no matter what beast you contain, you aren't a match for an entire village."

Naruto was unfazed. "Pleased to meet you, I guess, Temari. At least you can talk with some manners."

The blondes shared a smile. Temari almost liked him already. Pity she'd have to cut him to ribbons.

"Yeah, my brother's an ass, I know... sorry about that. But you haven't answered my question, and I'm not a patient lady."  
Fortunately for him, only Naruto heard the other young man growl to himself, "You're no lady at all, sis. You're a pain in the neck."

"I'm here to talk to Gaara, like I've been saying. Give me ten minutes. If you do that... I'll even see if I can fix his seal so he stays in better control of the Shukaku for you."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd.  
But before Temari could respond, a third figure stepped up to the roof-edge, a tall man in white ceremonial robes with light blue highlights, including the kanji for "Wind".  
"I am the Yondaime Kazekage, Jinchuuriki. Who are you?"

Naruto thought the stern, if average-looking man already had a good idea who he was. While they'd been travelling, Naruto was introduced to many of the continent's 'who's who' by Jiraiya, including this man.

"You know me, uncle Tanaka."

The crowd, including the Kazekage's children, gasped. The tall, robed ninja began to laugh.  
"Indeed I do, little Naruto. It's been a long time."

Temari gasped. "N-Naruto? But- but we thought you were dead?"

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, Ero-Sennin used that tactic a lot when we had to leave in a hurry. Sorry about that... but we both survived. He's in Ootori now... same as ever, of course."

In a flash, the older ninja appeared before Naruto, looking at him appraisingly, "Is Ootori what Konoha once was?"  
The younger shook his head, "No... it will be better, but it's not there yet. Please... just leave them alone. They deserve peace."

The Kazekage nodded, "I can... I can do better. I have never regretted anything in my life more than our betrayal of the alliance. If it had not been ordered by the Daimyo... I would have had Suna stand against the world for Konoha."  
Naruto nodded, "Thank you, Kazekage-sama. I... I need to see your youngest child."

The older man shook his head, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, I just can't allow it. He's not stable at all. He... we failed him."

"I can help. If you can subdue him, even for a few minutes if he loses control, I can check the seal. I'm not as good as Ero-Sennin, but I can at least help."

The village watched with baited breath while their leader debated with himself.

There was a collective sigh of relief when the Kazekage nodded. "Well, Naruto, you still want to marry Temari 'when you get older'? 'cause you're older now, and no one here's worthy of her..."  
The teenager and not-quite-a-teen-anymore blondes both blushed. "Er, sorry, Temari... you know you rock and all, but I... there's someone else."

Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief as well. No one was worthy of his sister, not even this brat he could barely remember. He'd only been ten when he'd seen him last, after all.

Just as the Kazekage and his children lead Naruto into the depths of the Kazekage's dwelling, the floors above exploded in a blinding flash.

**A/N2:** Again, a short A/N- I would think it's fairly clear, but the situation with Gaara is, again, three years later than the Shippuden timeline- that's 6 years from the time you meet most of these people in canon- and that's six years of pain for Gaara. He's been locked up for a long time, and is not going to be Kazekage this time. Frankly, he's just not sane enough any more. But he _will_ be at least partially redeemed.  
For those that think the Kazekage's redemption is too easy... you're right. But I won't say anything more about that for now, you'll have to wait and see.  
His name, by the way, is not known in canon, so I gave him the name of his Seiyuu (or however you spell that, the voice actor). I thought it fit pretty well. He's an average-looking guy, so an average name works. His abilities, for what it's worth, are largely or completely as canon. But he's not a major player, so it won't matter much.

'Till next time, same ninja time, same ninja channel!

**Glossary:**

**Akasuna no Sasori**: Sasori of the Red Sand. Canon, carries the ring of Sphere for the Akatsuki (also known as Jewel). His appearance is absolutely unchanged from canon, since he doesn't age. He also has not made the Third Kazekage into a puppet, because the last war ended quite differently than canon. In fact, the Third died of injuries sustained after the battle had ended, leading his son, the Fourth, to take his place. Given the chance, I'm sure Sasori would settle for the Gold Dust techniques of the Fourth even over the Iron Sand of the third, but guess what? No spoilers here! :D

The jutsu Sakura used to sink Sasori into the sand? It's a repeat, the Tilled Earth Jutsu mentioned earlier, one of my own creation. I didn't think I'd put it in a battle either, but hey, it works.

**Chiyo**: Same as canon, 'cept she's dead now. Her pretending to fall asleep led to her falling into their fishing pool, she hit her head, and drowned. Sad, but true. No other relevance.

**Deidara**: Yep, same guy, no changes. His appearance being similar to Ino is something many people have noted, but it's so uncanny I thought I'd bring it up again. He's from Iwa, but what does that mean? Obviously, blondes are rare in the Narutoverse (and in asian countires irl), so two distinct families- the Yamanaka and Senju- are not a stretch. Three or more is, and we've seen several so far, including Shion, at least one other Princess (I can't remember if it was birds or what, but one of the filler arcs in the anime), and so on. My opinion is that they are all at least distantly related, with the total blonde families (if you go back far enough) limited to only 4-6 instead of several or dozens.  
Otherwise, of course, Deidara is the same as canon- and note he, again, only has one pouch of clay this trip? He's screwed, given that not only Gaara, but Kankuro, Temari, the Fourth Kazekage, _and_ Naruto are all there.

… but I still don't want to spoil anything. :)

**Fourth Kazekage**: Kind of like canon. His appearance is the same, at least. He uses Gold Dust, which is a form of his father's (the third) Magnetic Release kekkei genkai. The greater weight of gold to sand helps him subdue Gaara when Shukaku gets a little crazy. A stern man, he takes the safety and livelyhood of his village very seriously, despite being (arguably) both the weakest village and Kage. He personally trained both Kankuro and Temari, and for a while, Gaara before his abilities started to manifest and he went nuts. Does honestly regret his village's betrayal of the alliance with Konoha, but is not all he seems, either. Met Naruto and Jiraiya shortly after the start of the pair's 10-year journey, so Temari and Kankuro (and kind of the Kazekage) have had 10 years to forget what he looks like. It took Naruto a bit to recognize Temari, and he didn't know Kankuro at all 'cause of the 'war paint'. After all, a 18-20 yr old male sounds (usually) almost nothing like their earlier childhood self. Like I said in the AN above, his name "Tanaka" is taken from the Japanese voice-actor, lacking a canon one. It fits, too.

**Sabaku no Kankuro**: Hey, you know who this is! Yep, he's unchanged, except for a few years older. He's still a bitter virgin (for what that's worth) who spends more time playing with his dolls and makeup than going out and getting a girl. It might be important to know that he holds the spot for the largest porn collection in Suna... but I doubt I'll remember to bring it up later, since the Sand Siblings are just bit players in this story. Also, I do like Kankuro's character, but this will not likely be a story where he even appears again.

**Sabaku no Temari:** As well, she's the same as canon, but with three more years from her Shippuden age. She's still single, still looking, etc etc- and barring Ino, Sakura, Hinata, or Tenten, she'd be the one I looked for (maybe more than Tenten, or even Ino). That being said, again, she's a minor character here. She _is_, however, a distant cousin of Naruto's in this story. Her blonde hair comes from (and this could be similar to canon, given how rare blondes are) from her great-grandmother, who was a Senju, and contemporary of Mito Uzumaki. Yes, her great-grandmother was the same age as Naruto's grandmother. A difference of 20 years is easy to subsume in three generations, if one branch is all from, for example, the youngest children of a family. They 'could' be romantically involved- they are that far apart genetically for it to be safe- but they won't be in this story. As far as she goes, it's strictly Shika/Tema, but she probably won't have a big part either, even if it's larger than her brother and dad.

**Yuura**: I spent 20 minutes trying to find the right symbol to insert (in OpenOffice) for the long-U, but no such luck. So I guess I'll be using this method for the forseeable future. He's the brainwashed sleeper agent that lets Deidara in in canon. This time, he's had his path opened by Naruto instead. That means his cover is not broken, though it may not make a difference later.

**Sunagakure no Sato**: The Village Hidden in the Sand, or Suna. It's canon.


	29. Chapter 29: Light and Dark

**A/N:** Yeah, been a while... sorry. I've been catching up on a few manga (longer running ones, incl Air Gear, Negima, etc) that I lost track of a while back when OneManga stopped running the actual scanlations. But... hey, here's a new longish chapter. The conclusion of the Sakura+Ino vs Sasori, a bit of Naruto vs Gaara (but not much, there'll be more of that later in a flashback), and... well, some things you might not be expecting. All of it leads up towards a massive change I'm making from canon, which has it's start in this chapter... I'll give a cookie (It might even be a real one, since I make really good cookies... I'd need your address to send it/them to though. Lol) to anyone who figures it out just from the clues here. :)

Also, I do have a _beta_ for this story now. Expect fewer mistakes, because he's good at catching them... and if you care, you can also expect the older chapters to be repaired, because he's given me a long list. I've worked through it (mostly) now, and as soon as I'm caught back up, I'll be replacing the chapters. Every single one. :)

You can thank Mouserr Rodent for the cleaner story, not to mention several improvements I've made where he's pointed out that the story is a bit weak. :D

Oh... and about the center-justified section? That's there for a reason. Another cookie to anyone who can figure out why. :)

Enjoy... this chapter's a doozy imho. :)

**Chap. 29 Light and Dark**

"Shit!" Naruto yelled, struggling to stand with the weight of what felt like an entire stone building on his back. Not that he had much choice about that...  
"Tema-chan, you okay? Did you get hit?" he struggled to say, coughing a little between sentences to clear the dust from his lungs and throat.

"N- No, I think I'm all right, Uzumaki-san. What the hell happened? Was it Gaara? Where's my fath- the Kazekage? Or Kankuro?"

He'd finally been able to rise upright. Apparently, it had not, in fact, been the whole building, just the top two floors, and not all had landed on him and Temari. _Just enough to hurt like a bitch, I guess._ "I donno," he muttered while scanning around, "Let me get out of here and I'll pull you up."

Temari felt a flutter in her chest when Naruto's strong hand gripped her wrist and hauled her from the loose debris. Immediately, her eyes moved to his, looking for... something. She didn't find it, because Naruto wasn't even looking at her.

Tracing his gaze, Temari looked up into the sky, carefully avoiding the sun just to their right. _There. What is that? A bird? How could a bird make a building explode?_

A moment later, her sharp eyes caught something being dropped from the silhouette above, and just as it hit the large building that was Suna's biggest hospital, it exploded with even more devastating power than what had just struck her home. "Shit!" she cried, "That was the hospital! What the hell is that?"

Naruto only said one word, "Akatsuki."

"Red Dawn? What's that?" Kankuro, covered in dust and bleeding himself, growled from behind them, "And why are you two holding hands?"

Suddenly blushing, Temari jerked her wrist out of Naruto's hand. He didn't resist, nor did he look toward her, much less blush himself.

"They're after either me or Gaara. You guys need to lure him away from the city, get all your long ranged people out there and either fight him off or make it seem like Gaara's escaping."

"What makes you think he's not after you?" the Kazekage said, joining them as well. He seemed unscathed, likely protected by his jutsu, "You are a jinchuuriki as well."

Temari tensed beside him, Naruto noted, but only nodded. "Yeah... but I doubt they know I'm here. I left Ootori rather suddenly, and have been taking... measures. I suppose it's possible, but I'd probably know it if they did."

"Kagebunshin?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. About a dozen. None have dispelled yet."

The leader of Suna's eyes widened. _A dozen shadow clones and he's still this strong? He really _is_ the Nine-Tail's jailer, then. No one else could do that. Right?_ "Well then, I propose a different plan. You stop that Akatsuki member, and we'll work to keep Gaara subdued. I'm surprised he's let us talk this long without-"

But he was cut off by the rubble underneath them being reduced to sand in an instant, leaving each of them to sink several inches further down.

"Mother wants your _blood_, father!"

Naruto and the three Suna ninja whirled to face the new threat.

"Crap, he's loose!" the Kazekage muttered, before shouting out commands to his subordinates, "Jonin, distract the attacker! Chunin, Genin, evacuate the civilians to the shelters! Go, quickly! Temari, Kankuro, you protect Naruto, and I'll subdue Gaara!"

A moment later, only four ninja still stood in or around the ruins of the Kazekage's dwelling.

"Sorry, Uncle T, but I don't follow your orders. I need your son alive, so _I'll_ be the one stopping him."

The older shinobi snorted, "What makes you think you can even stop him, Uzumaki?"

The brown and blue eyes of the two ninja turned toward the teal of the crimson-haired ninja walking toward their group. Naruto was struck by how cold the Kazekage's youngest child's expression was. "I don't need to stop him. I just need to guide him, that's all."

Gaara himself spoke before his father could, his voice just as chilling as his eyes, "I am not your weapon. You cannot guide me. Instead, I will guide you... to the underworld."

Despite the obvious threat, the slightly shorter young ninja spoke in a monotone, with no inflection of any kind.

"I don't need you to be my weapon," Naruto responded warmly, "I just want your help. 'cause that's what friends do, they help each other."

Gaara ignored Tanaka's snort, "I have no friends. I need no friends. I am alone... and I am the strongest being alive. There is nothing that can compare to me."

This time, it was Naruto who snorted, "Right... I can admit you're strong, or I wouldn't have come to you for help, but the strongest being around? I doubt that. The guy flying around up there on his giant bird's probably stronger than you. I _know_ I am."

"Stronger than me? You think you, a nobody, are stronger than the Desert Storm."

Naruto nodded, "Yep. By enough to matter. You'll never beat me, Gaara. So why don't we work together, instead?"

The first sign of emotion crossed the red-head's face, "Work together. How will that validate my existence?"

Naruto shrugged, "You exist or you wouldn't be talking to me, right?"

"I exist to kill. It is the purpose of my existence. If I am not killing, I have no reason to exist. Killing gives me a reason to exist. Helping you... does not."

Naruto nodded, "I guess I can see that in a sort of twisted way. We're ninja. More so, we're both Jinchuuriki. Our purpose is, in a way, to kill. But do you know why?"

"To prove that we exist."

"No!" Naruto cried, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of an explosion to the north. Turning his attention to the Kazekage, Naruto yelled over the reverberations, "Uncle T! You go handle that guy, you have to protect your Village! I can do this!"

"And if you fail?" Tanaka whispered.

Naruto still understood. "I won't. I can't."

After a few seconds, the older brunette gave a curt nod. He then gestured to his elite guard before the lot of them leapt away onto the nearby rooftops, leaving only Naruto and his three children standing amidst the ruins of his home.

"Puppet-guy, you better get out of here. This isn't something you can help with."

"Fuck that!" the older shinobi replied with a scowl that twisted his war-paint comically, "I don't run! I'm not a coward!"

Temari smacked him lightly on the shoulder with her fan, "He's right. No one thinks you're scared, Kankuro, but what are your puppets going to do against... _him_?"

While Naruto disagreed with Temari very much that her middle brother wasn't scared (because he could smell the fear just as easily as a dog would, emanating from them both), it was the blonde who countered Temari's argument, "_Both_ of you, get out of here. You'll only get yourselves killed if you fight back. Just leave him to me."

Kankuro scoffed, "Leave him to the scrawny twerp who flipped up my sister's skirt way too many times when we saw you last? Yeah, right. I wouldn't even trust _Gaara_ to you, much less the safety of our whole Village!"

Temari blushed, and swung her fan to bash her brother over the head this time.  
He smoothly ducked, of course, but Naruto only smiled sadly, "Yeah... good times. But I'm not that scrawny kid any more, Cousin Kaka."

"What- who the hell are- you- that's not my name!" the brunette spluttered.

Naruto, in response, began to walk calmly toward the the Jinchuuriki of the One-Tails, though he said over his shoulder, "'s what I know you as."

Temari, though giggling slightly at seeing her wannabe-playboy brother so out of sorts, still had her head in the game enough to ask, "Naruto... seriously, what makes you think you can handle him? Gaara's... he's not..."

The taller blonde (Temari was pleased to note that he was even taller than her nearly six feet) shrugged, not bothering to look back, "He's only got one tail. I can use four... six if I have to, though I can't promise that won't be more trouble than it's worth for Suna."

Both sibling's eyes widened. Even Gaara showed some reaction, because he stopped his own slow steps forward and actually _glared_ at Naruto. "You... you have the six-tails?"

Naruto shook his head, still grinning, "Nope. The Nine... Kyuubi. I just can't handle more than six tails without losing control completely. Even that's a stretch, but it should be enough to control you if I have to. I'd really rather we got along, though. No use tearing up your home, right?"

"This is not my home. It is my prison."

At that, Naruto actually stopped himself. With a sigh, his head lowered. "I... I want to say I know how that feels, Gaara... but I can't. I was raised in... well, not a perfect home, but a home where the people loved me. I want to say that we're the same... but we're not. The only things we have in common is that we're both Jinchuuriki, and both male. That's it, really... and I know, I know, even if I've never experienced it myself, what that kind of pain must feel like... but you are _not_ alone. You never really have been. You have a brother, a sister, and a father... even if you scare them, even if... even if you don't want them around, they still love you. Right?"

Temari, though she privately doubted Naruto's words very much (watching your youngest brother slaughter six of your best friends, including one boy you had been crushing on for years, had a tendency to ruin good feelings toward him), she at least knew where Naruto was going with this.

Kankuro, though, bless his perverted little heart, had all the tact of a warhammer.

"Yeah, right! We'd just as soon he was dead, then we could live in peace!"

Naruto sighed again, "Okay, so your brother's not the best example... but, even if your whole family hates you, there's still me. I met you once, when we were little. Remember? Little, yellow-haired kid with whiskers? I remember you."

Gaara's eyes narrowed again.

"_Gaara, this gentleman is one of the Densetsu no Sannin. His name is Jiraiya-sama. And... _this_ little guy is... Uzumaki Naruto. He's like you, he doesn't have many friends. But you guys are the same age. You even look alike. Do you think you could be friends?"_

_The red-head, terrified of stepping beyond his uncle Yashamaru's legs to be nearer the giant man, shook his head, while clutching his teddy bear closer to his chest. _

"_Come on!" a bright, high voice called from next to the giant man, "Don't be like that! Hi, Gaara! My name's Naruto. Pleased to meet ya!"_

_Surprised by the blonde boy's willingness to talk to him, Gaara took a step back, away from the shelter of his uncle's legs, for each the other boy took towards him._

_But that emotion (is that what it was?) paled in comparison to the shock when the other boy- Naruto, he'd said?- put one hand forward, like he'd seen some of the traders and others in the village do, before clasping their hands together._

"_Come on, Gaara!" the blonde said cheerfully, "Shake my hand! Or we can bow, if you like doing things the stuffy old way. Ero-jiji says some people are like that. Do you want to bow?"_

_Dumbstruck, Gaara shook his head._

_What was this Naruto even talking about?_

_After a few more seconds, with some fear, that Yashamaru and the giant man had walked further away from them, leaving him to be attacked by this... this blonde monster._

_When would he start yelling?_

_Throwing things at him?_

_Calling him, Gaara, a monster?_

_Because they always did._

_Only uncle Yashamaru didn't do those things, until... until that day.  
_

But uncle Yashamaru was dead.

Gaara had killed him.

Just like he'd killed so many others.

And like he'd kill this... this _monster_ who dared to meet him once... and try to fool him, just like uncle Yashamaru had!

"Noo!" Gaara suddenly screamed, the volume chakra-enhanced and terrible.

Sand, smaller pieces of rubble, and clothing flew away from the short shinobi. Only Naruto was unfazed.

"I won't let you trick me! I won't! You just want to get close to me, hoping you can get past my defenses! Well I won't let you! _I'm_ stronger! _I'm_ the strongest! Mother said so! And now, Mother wants _your_ blood, even more than Father's!"

Naruto, turning his head back toward the other siblings, uttered just one word.

"Run."

Kankuro displayed a high amount of wisdom, and did just that, dragging a reluctant Temari behind him.

(O)(O)(O)

There was no way she'd be able to stop herself, her momentum was too great, and Sakura was still a few feet off the ground, a half-moment from being impaled on the spike Sasori had extended from his body. In a fraction of a second, she would be struck down, and he would be...

He would go after Ino.

And then Naruto.

_Cha! You can _not_ let that happen, Sakura! Never let him touch your precious people! Protect them, even if it's your life on the line! Naruto would do the same for you! You _owe_ it to him, to all of them!_

At a distance of four feet from Sasori's puppet-body, hurtling toward him at about sixteen meters per second, Sakura's panicked expression shifted to determination.

Ino's eyes, though, went from anxiety to horrified terror. "Sakura, _no_!" she screamed. But it was too late.

"_Huurk_!"

The blonde kunoichi could do little more than stare for several seconds. _A... a double... double kill? I... no! I can't let it end like this!_

Ino charged forward.

In front of her, Sakura weakly pulled her clenched fist from the hole she'd punched through the puppet's weak spot. It was dripping with red, viscous fluid that closely resembled, but was clearly not, blood. For one thing, it glowed faintly with blue chakra. For another, it smelled more like dirt than copper or iron. "Got... got you... Akas- Akasuna no Sasori. Not... not so tough... now... are y-you?"

The Akatsuki member's dull brown eyes moved downward, both wide with surprise that was not mirrored in their artificial surfaces. "You... you killed me."

Sakura nodded, "And you... killed me. But I... I'm not... upset. I'm just a 'weak girl'... and I brought down an S-class nukenin... Akasuna no Sasori. Path- pathetic."

"Sakura!" Ino cried, now beside the pair, "What- what should I do? I mean, you're... you're..."

The rosette's eyes closed for a moment. Ino was surprised to see a somewhat wistful smile on her face, "I guess... I'll leave Naruot... in your care, In- Ino-bunta."  
"Come on, Sakura! Don't say that!" the blonde cried, "You're a medic, aren't you? You can heal this! It's just a stab! Right?"

Sasori answered for her, though, "She has taken three separate injuries, each with their own lethal poisons. I... there is nothing anyone can do for her, now."

"That can't be right! Come on, don't you give up on me, Sakura! What will Naruto say when I tell him you gave up, huh? He'll- he'll hate you forever for it, that's what!"

Sakura coughed, causing several small red spots to appear on Sasori's face and her own lips. "He... yeah... that sounds... about right. But I can't... can't feel my chakra. I... can't heal... myself... s-sorry... tell Naruto? Tell... tell him I'm... s... and... and I l... love..."

"_Sakuraaaaaaa!_"

Sasori's light brown eyes lingered on the green ones while the medic's lids closed slowly inches from his own. For a moment, he wished his own eyes were still capable of showing emotion. But even blinking took chakra, and he was fading fast.  
"Girl... there is... a chance. A small one, but it is there. It is real."  
"Shut up! Why should I trust you, huh? You're the one that- the one... that..."

"In the bottom-right scroll... on my back... the third seal from the left, on the top row. It has... my antidotes. Use them all... mix them, give her exactly... one... drop. Just one. More would kill... her even more slowly... and painfully than the... the toxins."

"And... and then what? She'll still bleed out because of you!"

The puppet's head shook slowly, back and forth, just once. "N... no... she has... the knowledge. You have... the chakra... use mind-jutsu... take the knowledge from her... save her..."

Ino was motionless for only a half-heartbeat more, before blurring around the puppet body and ripping the remains of his black cloak from him, immediately reaching for the scroll in quetsion before unfurling it. "Why? Why are you trying to save her now? What's... what's in it for you?"

The puppet made a half-hearted attempt to shrug. "I... my art... it will out... outlast me... now. But this one... her art... tr- transient... has def-defeated... mine... Deidara-gagakusei... that mere... student of... art... could he be... right? That art... really is... t-transi... ent? I... I want her... to... to decide. What... what is real... art?"

Ino, who had just finished using Sakura's medical kit to mix the antidotes and fill a dropper, put the tip on Sakura's limp tongue, one hand holding her head back so her mouth hung open, the other the dropper, while the medic's breathing became weaker and slower with each exhalation. "If... if you're lying about this..."

The puppet only said, voice soft and mouth barely moving, "No... point. No... reason... to lie. Take... ring... don't... Akatsuki... h... ha... have..."

The hole in Sasori's chest pulsed once more, expelling a pint or so of the strange red fluid to dripple, as the rest had, into the narrow space between he and Sakura, and the head fell forward against the medic's chin. _Heh... lucky, Sakura... at least I don't get to tell Naruto you cheated on him by kissing a puppet..._

A moment later, Ino's burden was lightened considerably when, with a sickening squelch, the puppet fell backwards, pulling the spike by the cable it was attached to out of Sakura's abdomen before falling completely to the ground.

"Okay, Forehead... lie down here... that's a good girl... don't you die on me, smart-ass, or I'm never, ever going to forgive you... let's... let's hope this works. Help... help me, daddy, _please_. I don't... I don't want to lose her... not like this..."

"Ow..." the rosette whimpered, "That...was totally not worth it."

"I can't believe you, Sakura! How could you let him hit you like that?"

The medic shrugged, still focusing on withdrawing the poison from the open wound in her stomach before it could cause much internal damage. "How... how else was I supposed to get close... close enough to bring him down? I... _Jigoku's rambling lawyers_, this hurts..."

The leggy blonde, only mildly distracted by the strange epithet, scowled at her friend, "There were other ways. I could have tried to possess him again... I think I could have held him long enough for you to get a hit in. But letting him hit you... _twice_? I mean, come on! There _had_ to be another way!"

Sakura only shrugged.

Then winced, moaning again, before returning her attention to her stomach. At least the section of tail that had struck her back was turned to the side, and not one of the poisoned edges. That would have made finishing the healing Ino had inexpertly started a great deal harder, and more painful.

That it had thrown her straight at Sasori was, given his readiness with the spike that had punctured her abdomen, likely intentional.

What had probably _not_ been intended was Sakura's sudden readiness to counter-attack, and the timing involved in punching her hand through Sasori's heart as soon as he'd been in range.

"Still..." Sakura groaned a minute later, distracting Ino from checking their enemy's puppets for usable weapons or scrolls, "at least I know... I can handle my... my own... against an S-class... now..."

Ino's eyes rolled, "Look, Sakura... I know you feel all giddy and whatever, but you _weren't_ alone. I might not have helped much, but I _did_ help. You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for me, so stop being all high-and-mighty, and fix yourself up so we can go help Naruto! You know these guys are supposed to travel in pairs. If we haven't been attacked..."

As she'd spoken, the blonde had turned to the southwest, searching the horizon.

She gasped, "S- Sakura... _look_."

It took a bit, given the injury that made her back almost inflexible with pain, but Sakura eventually stood and turned to face the same direction, only to see several pillars of black or white smoke, merging into one huge, gray column of gray that rose high into the sky before being scattered by the high-altitude winds.

"S- Suna... _Naruto!_"

"Come on, Pinky," Ino said, suddenly focused again, "No time for dilly-dallying. Get yourself patched up enough to move, I'll gather the gear... I'm good enough with storage scrolls we can just bring it all, it'll take... two minutes."

Sakura nodded, "I'll be... maybe three. I have to loosen up my back a little, or I won't be able to keep up. I won't have much chakra left, though. How're you?"

"About half. If we have to fight, I can, but I won't last too much longer. It doesn't matter, though. Just hurry."

(O)(O)(O)

The ground beneath Naruto exploded upward again, throwing him several feet into the air this time. _Damn Suna and their crappy Jonin! Can't they keep that guy busy? Why haven't they just taken him __out? His bombing the whole damned city, but mostly me!_

"The worm! The worm thinks he can take my prey! I'll kill the worm first!"

Naruto wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset to see Gaara lift upwards from where he'd been tossed to the ground on a platform of floating sand.

His own fight had _not_ gone as he'd expected so far. While he knew, knew with both head and heart, that he was stronger than Gaara... the Sannin student had also been getting his ass kicked by the crazed Jinchuuriki.

"It's not enough..." he groaned, setting his lower left arm so when the Kyuubi healed it it'd be at least mostly straight, "that I have to deal with crazy, either, but the random explosions aren't making it any easier. But it's just the _sand_! It gets _everywhere_!"

"**Stop your whining, insignificant insect! Unleash me, let me crush that bothersome mite beneath my paws! I want to feast on Shukaku's flesh before I consume your soul!"**

"And... now I have a mangy furball talking to me again. Great."

"N-Naruto?"

_And... just when I thought I hit rock bottom, I have to protect Temari-chan too..._

"What is it, Temari?"

If she was put off by his stern tone, the kunoichi didn't show it. Instead, she moved up to stand next to him, fan completely open, with a hard look in her eyes. "I'm here to help. If nothing else, I should be able to direct that Akatsuki guy's bombs elsewhere; I've been able to help my dad's squad with that, but... he's directed them to help evacuate, so here I am again."

"Gaara's going after that mad bomber, now, before he 'comes back to eat my soul'. Like I don't hear _that_ enough."

"You... what?"

Naruto shrugged, "Kyuubi. We... well, we used to not get along so well as we do now. He used to tell me stuff like that all the time."

"**And I still will! I refuse to let your pathetic father's jutsu keep me locked away until we both die, harmless, bitter old men, in the night! I will not bow to that fate! You will suffer for ten thousand years in my stomach, while I ravage the world and everything in it!"**

One of Naruto's calloused hands moved to his belly, where Temari was able to catch a glimpse of a spiral seal through one of the many holes either Gaara or the bomber had ripped in his jacket. "Shut up, stupid fox. One more word, and the _new_ deal's being renegotiated further. I don't need you any more, remember? I can just _take_ what I want, if I have to."

Temari's eyes widened, "You... you can actually do that? H- How?"

Naruto, his eyes never leaving the aerial battle between sand and explosives, muttered, "My seal's... better. Better than Gaara's ever was, if Ero-sennin can be believed. And since it's about seals... he can be. I'm no master or anything, but I know enough to help Gaara. _If_ I can get him to to settle down for ten minutes or so. But I can't even get him to talk to me. I've never seen anyone so... so damned stubborn! It's like he doesn't _want_ help!"

The kunoichi shook her head, "He... he doesn't. What Kankuro said... was right. Most of us... all of Suna... really does want Gaara dead. You have no... no idea of how many of our people he's killed. It takes everything our father has to keep him down when he gets riled, and he's the strongest Kazekage in history, even stronger than his father and his Iron Dust jutsu."

"Yeah, the old man said something about that once. Your dad uses gold, right?"

Temari nodded, "Yes. It's heavy enough that if the sand and gold are bonded, Gaara can't control his sand properly, and the Kazekage's range is... higher. Not a lot, but enough to make a difference. He can usually force Gaara to settle down, but I've never seen him so upset before."

"I believe it," Naruto answered calmly, "after hearing how you guys have treated him... I'm not surprised he's a murderous lunatic. I'd probably have been the same way. I hate to say this, but you guys really have no one to blame but yourselves."

"How can you say that?" she cried, whirling to face Naruto, "He's a killer! Just last year, he killed fifty-six people in one hour! One! He's killed our uncle, he even started life by killing our mother!"

Naruto shook his head, "You're going to blame your mother's death on a baby not even hours old? Tell me how _anyone_, even someone with instinctual control of sand, could take the blame for something they did _right after they were born_?"

Temari had no response.

Naruto, though, wasn't done, "And the rest... he's this way because _you_ made him that way. I don't care how crazy the One-Tails makes him, _I_ was raised with the _Nine_ inside me. Some of it's 'cause I have a better seal. I know that. But the rest... I had a father-figure, a mother-figure, and two sisters who always loved me, no matter how much we fought. Even if... even if I never _really_ met my birth parents, I know now they still loved me too. Even if one of them had to bind the Kyuubi into me. It was... it was nothing more than my mother, and my grandmother, had to face too."

That was more than he'd ever admitted to Sakura, or Ino, though he suspected both had figured it out. They were both, after all, scary-smart.

"Naruto... I..."

He shook his head, interrupting her, "But the way you treated Gaara? How was he supposed to be normal like that? Ostracized. Outcast. _Feared_. I heard the story about uncle Yashamaru a few years ago. I knew then that... eventually... I'd have to come here again. I need his help, I really do, but even if I didn't... I'd still want to come and get Gaara out of here. Show him how _real_ people are, not... not monsters."

A large part of Temari was screaming at her to tell him off, to prove him wrong. To explain, make it absolutely clear beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it was _Gaara_ who was the monster. Not her. Not her brother. Not their father.

Not their whole Village.

But a tiny, quiet part of her knew otherwise.

"Y... you're right. We are the monsters here. But... what are we supposed to do about it? He just wants to kill us."

Naruto shrugged. "It might be too late. For you guys, at least. But I'm not giving up, not yet. I'm going to beat him down. Somehow. And then I'll fix his seal. It should help."

"You... you really can do that?"

He nodded, "Yeah... when we were hear before, Ero-sennin saw his seal. He has this weird memory for seals, like, once he's seen them he never forgets one. He drew it for me a few times, and we talked about some of the problems with it. I remember most of them."

"He... he never sleeps."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"Gaara. Those rings under his eyes? They're not the mark of the Shukaku, like your whiskers are for you. They're just... just regular bags under his eyes. He has this, uh... this... Kami, if he ever hears me say this or finds out I told you, I'm so dead... he..."

Naruto's eyes rolled, "Out with it, Temari! Say it or don't, we don't have time to argue... Gaara's losing."

The shock of that statement took a few moments to sink in, so she just blurted out, "He has a tail, all right? A little, stubby tail that looks kind of like a raccoon! He keeps it hidden, but our medics haven't been able to remove it, 'cause the sand kept them from getting close even as a baby. Just don't tell him I said anything. But maybe you can use his insomnia against him someh- wait... _what_? He's _losing_?"

Naruto nodded solemnly, pointing upwards towards the sun, "Right there. Somehow, the Akatsuki guy got bombs inside Gaara's sand-shell, when even my Rasengan barely got through it. He's not falling, but he's hurt pretty bad. I can smell the blood falling."

Temari nodded, stunned.

"Can you get us up there?"

Stiffly, she nodded, holding out her fan and channeling chakra without a word, eyes still riveted to the speck above them. "Hop- hop on. This'll take all of my concentration, though, so glue yourself on with chakra, and you'll have to do the fighting. I can only manage small jutsu if I'm alone, nothing with a passenger."

He nodded, sliding on to crouch next to the kneeling kunoichi. "Let's go."

(O)(O)(O)

"Halt! I said _halt!_"

Ino's jutsu connected a moment before the shuriken was thrown. Without warning, Sakura scooped up her friend and flung the blonde's body over her shoulder, ignoring the pain it caused in her back, just as the lone Jonin guard at the shattered gate turned to fling the weapon into the lone Chunin's leg. Hopefully that would slow them down.

Familiar now with Ino's techniques, Sakura was not much surprised when the Jonin, an older man with a white cloth covering half his face, wearing the standard sand-brown flak jacket of Sunagakure, moved up next to her and said in a gravelly voice, "Sifting... he's really worried, and not about us. Name's Baki. Uh... an attack on their Jinchuuriki, Gaara... the Kazekage in danger... Naruto! I saw Naruto!"

"Where?" Sakura asked, green eyes suddenly scanning the street they were flying down even more intently.

"No- not here. In this guy's memory. It's- right! Turn right here!"

"On it!"

(O)(O)(O)

"It's over, One-Tails," the voice said, clearly amused, "You've put on more of a fight than I'd expected, but you aren't a match for me. Hmph."

"He's not alone, though!" Naruto cried, suddenly leaping from Temari's fan, twenty-two and a half feet through the air to plunge a kunai into the Akatsuki member's back.

Of course, he just disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving only a vaguely-humanoid simulacrum in white clay. "Kuso!"

_Boom_.

Temari screamed.

Gaara laughed, even with blood burbling from his lips, while an orange-clad body plummeted, smoking, from the sky.

"Naruto!"

Temari raced downward, as fast as she could go, hoping she'd be able to slow his descent in time... they were a few hundred feet up. It would be close...

And while she did so, Gaara lost consciousness, even the Shukaku's chakra drained by the intense battle with first Naruto in his two-tailed state, and then the former Iwa shinobi.

Said Akatsuki member appeared on Gaara's sand platform, which was already breaking up. "Just enough clay for a bird to ride home. Hmph. I wonder if Sasori-sempai is done with his playtime. The girls weren't bad looking for kids, I wonder if he'll make them into puppets so I can admire them later. But you, little boy, are coming with me. Hmph. That's just two Jinchuuriki left... Pain-sama will be pleased. Hmph."

No one in Suna even noticed the large white bird fly away.

**A/N2:** Whelp, what do you think? Let me know in review!

Seriously.

This chapter (and the ones before and after...) are already significantly different than canon, and it's going to continue to the conclusion. I need to know if you guys are enjoying it or not to improve, so _review_, please!

On the same subject (of the 'continuing to conclusion')... I was wrong. We aren't about 2/3, but only about ½. I had several other good plot points spring into my head early this morning, and as they're basically all written out, and make the story better... well, they're going in. You're welcome. :)

**Glossary:**

Can't think of anything to add.


	30. Chapter 30: Hokage's Legacy

**A/N:** Hey, two chapters in not too long a time-span! Just FYI, this chapter was written the same day as the previous... you're welcome. :D

Not so much action (like, none), but plenty of politics and relationships this time. And the chapter title? It's in more way than one... or two... or three. :)

Enjoy!

**Chap. 30 Hokage's Legacy**

In Ootorigakure, the Village Hidden by the Phoenix, several older ninja, both shinobi and kunoichi alike, were arrayed around a single large, recessed-floor room. Unlike what many of them remembered as the old, Konoha Ninja Council Chamber, this room was not round, except on one edge, making it a quarter-circle. There was only half the seating of the old chamber, since in this forum, there were no civilians allowed except to give testimony or as petitioners.

Every seat, bar seven, was full. Six of those seven seats' occupants were currently sitting in other, slightly more comfortable (they had a half-inch leather padding on the seat and back) chairs on the recessed floor at the bottom of the amphitheater-like room.

Tsunade looked to her left first, growing tired of waiting for the last member of the Ootori Provisional Shinobi Council to arrive. _Hiashi, Tsume, Fugaku._ To the right, _Inoichi, Shikaku, Choza. Where the hell is he?_

The relatively-aged medic's chocolate eyes scanned the crowd. Despite that every member was a ninja, and roughly equivalent to a Jonin in skill, they were still showing signs of boredom and restlessness. She couldn't really blame them; Jiraiya had kept the group waiting for more than an hour already. _It's not like him to be late. Even Obito's here, and he's _always_ late according to Fugaku._

Just when the last living full-blood Senju had made up her mind to start without him, _And pray that his absence leads him to get elected rather than me_, the door to their right crashed open, a moment before the white-haired man- he would never be a 'gentleman' to her- stormed in, looking furious.

It didn't take her, or any of the gathered ninja, long to figure out why.

Jiraiya's knee-length hair?

Gone. Shorn off at his shoulders, and none to gently.

"Fuck the official business," he growled, voice shaking with rage, "_who did it?_ No one short of a Jonin could have snuck up on me like that. That means he or she's in this room right now, and if I don't get some answers..."

A similarly white-haired man stood up, drawing the attention of every member of the room. "Excuse me, Lord Jiraiya. I don't have any information about the culprit, but I have to say, you're looking particularly dashing today. Not that you need it, but I think you'll be even more popular with the ladies now than usual."

Without another word, and not having taken his black eyes from the book Tsunade could _clearly_ recognize as one of Jiraiya's own, the tall, thin ninja sat back down.

Several of the crowd chuckled, but fell silent when Jiraiya's eyes started to roam again. She was quite amused to see his hands clenching and unclenching rapidly. It had been a long time since she'd seen him so close to losing control.

"Sit down, old man," she said sternly, "I did it, and I had a damned good reason. I'll explain later, but we have business to take care of."

Tsunade had never in her life truly feared Jiraiya.

At first, he'd simply been the loser of their group. Not untalented, but compared to her incredible chakra control, or Orochimaru's amazing talent with jutsu? He just couldn't compare. Later in life, after they'd matured, he was certainly more dangerous than she in a fight, but he would never, ever hurt her. He'd die himself before he even let an accident happen.

At that moment, though, Tsunade experienced what so many other ninja before had- Jiraiya was a stone-cold badass, and would wipe the floor with half the room before they could bring him down if he wanted to. And there was nothing she, or any of them, could do to stop him.

Fortunately for her, though, his heart seemed to win out after a few tense seconds. "You have some explaining to do, Tsunade, and those reasons had _better _be damned good ones."

She didn't miss the dropping of 'hime', or the frigid tone he'd used.

_Well, I did have good reasons... even if they don't seem so good any more._

"First order of business," Fugaku called from the far left, "Village Security. It will take a decade or more, even with our ever-growing number of ninja, to rebuild the once-great wall which surrounded Konoha. As many of you know, however, Konoha's reliance on that bastion led directly to the ease of their defeat during the War. The defense team has therefore come up with a multi-layered strategy, which, yes, does include a defensive wall of near the same size and strength of Konoha's. It also, however..."

Tsunade started to let her mind wander. She hadn't intended it, of course, but the council had hashed out these plans for months already, and each one of them knew them by heart. A part of her just wanted to get it all over with, to get to her own items of business, but she also dreaded what was coming. Jiraiya, who had taken the only remaining seat next to her, was still fuming, sitting on the far side, as far away from her as he could.

It hurt, obviously, but she was a big girl. She could handle it... he'd understand in the end. He always did.

But that didn't seem to help the knife in her gut. _Hell... I'm too old to get pangs every time the man I like- love- gets mad at me. Hell._

She didn't even notice repeating herself.

After several minutes, Fugaku asked for a raise of hands. Only a few in the entire auditorium stayed down. Exactly as they'd expected; they had, after all, come up with the plan to be nearly perfect. As perfect as any plan could be, anyway, even relying on their several combined decades of experience.

"Motion passes, the plan will proceed. For those dissenting or with thoughts on possible improvements, feel free to stop by the security office to discuss your thoughts in detail. We're open for suggestions."

_There's a pleasant change from twenty years ago... the old man was almost terrified they were going to start a revolt for a bit more power in the village, and now they're asking for help from the rank-and-file officers? Will wonders never cease..._

Tsume stood next, and Tsunade allowed herself to drift again, this time to less important matters. While the scouting reports that the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Hyuuga clans had put together were perhaps more important than any other decisions to be made, the fact was that the dog-ally was simply relaying reports. The decisions about what to do with them had already been made, but the Jonin all needed to be kept up to speed just in case things changed rapidly. The more they all knew, the better their security would be overall.

After twenty minutes, Tsume sat and Tsunade stood. "Well, for the first time, I'm actually glad to give my report. As of last night at Twenty-Two-Eighteen Hours, the Ootori Hospital became fully operational. Even better news, the relative safety and peace we've had for the last few months has caused a rush of pregnancies compared to the last eighteen years. As a result, our brand-new maternity ward is filled to overflowing already, and that's just the few people who are in enough danger that they need to be watched around the clock. Last census, taken two weeks ago, shows that our population has a total of eighty-six pregnancies, and ninety-nine-point-nine percent or more are expected to reach full term."

Several of the rowdier shinobi, many of whom she knew were either expecting or attached to someone who was, cheered.

_And why not? If we get attacked, sure, they're going to make life harder... protecting people always does. But a generation or two down the line, those numbers could _really_ help. If we make it that far._

"Yes, that's great news. I also get to report that while our number of paid missions still hasn't broken the ten mark since our official founding, the local lords of Hi no Kuni all, with a few exceptions from what people are calling bandit lords, accept us unequivocally as _their_ Hidden Village. Most of you are probably too young, but what that means is that we're going to start getting more missions. Not only that, but we can expect to be receiving small tithes for protection as well, to include materiel for building, foodstuffs, and even labor. If and when a Daimyo is put on the Land of Fire's throne again, that is likely to increase even further."

There was more cheering.

"Any questions before I turn the floor over to Jiraiya?"

One lone kunoichi from the very back row raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"Sorry if this is a bit out of turn, Senju-sama, but I think it has at least a little relevance. My name is Yoshiyuki Tenna, and I-"

The speaker's soft voice was drowned out by Tsunade's own gasp.

"Y- Yoshiyuki?"

Several older attendees expressed surprise as well. Reluctantly, the slight woman rose, "Yes. My uncle was the former Daimyo. I received my training from one of the former Twelve Ninja Guardians. I-"

She was interrupted by Jiraiya, "The Twelve Guardians are dead, wiped out. I personally saw every one of their bodies. Most of them were burned to a crisp, but still recognizable."

The girl, she couldn't be older than twenty, but carried herself with the authority of an elite jonin regardless of her obviously shy nature, nodded. "Then our plan worked. If even one of the Three Legendary Ninja were fooled..."

Several eyes turned to Jiraiya, but his own, Tsunade's, and more than half of the crowd remained riveted to the young kunoichi, most with suspicion.

"Actually, three of the Guardians survived the night the capitol was attacked. Shiruka Zenzi, Aburame Fuudo, and... Sarutobi Asuma. The last is alive even today."

There were several more gasps.

It was Tsunade who yelled the loudest over the sudden clamor. _A survivor of the Sarutobi? Truly? Even the one child of her old sensei's who had chosen the life of a ninja, no matter how estranged they had been?_

Tsunade vaguely recalled Asuma as a teen. He hadn't been _that _ much younger than her, after all. Brash, impulsive. Skilled, perhaps even more talented than his father, though less scholarly by nature. That had, she had thought at the time, been the only thing holding him back. Now, though... if he was still alive... "Where is your proof?"

The girl nodded, "Not here, of course. I couldn't bring much... only circumstantial evidence. This." She held up an unmistakable sash. It was just that, circumstantial, but the pristine condition Tsunade saw after it had been passed down to the council... it was either an incredible forgery, or a carefully-preserved artifact from the night Hi no Kuni truly fell, two weeks to the day after Konoha had burned the second time.

"There's more," the kunoichi said calmly. Tsunade was impressed; whether the shy girl was a spy or telling the truth, her ability to focus and speak effectively was... well, not quite inspiring, but certainly admirable.

"Go on," Hiashi said, his Byakugan clearly activated as he watched for any sign of treachery. Whether he saw any or not, he revealed nothing.

"Sarutobi Asuma... is also not the only survivor of the Sarutobi. His nephew, Konohamaru, also lives. He is either a Genin or a Chunin-level shinobi in his own right, with talent only slightly less than his uncle. As well... I have a cousin. The youngest child of Yoshiyuki Kaneko still lives. Her name is Yoshiyuki Zankako. Fitting, since she is the last bloom of her line."

Jiraiya, for the moment, seemed to have completely forgotten his much shorter hair when he strode up to stand next to Tsunade at the podium, "You have two choices. You can accept an escort to go fetch everyone you've just mentioned and bring them here for their own protection, or you can send a message- looked over by myself- to them for the same purpose."

The girl immediately shook her head, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Jiraiya-sama. They have only survived as long as they did by remaining in seclusion. By being no one of import, anonymous, they, we all, have survived. They will not risk it, nor will I. Not for this small village that cannot protect them."

Tsunade's hand on Jiraiya's arm made him bite back his reply. "We have two possible legitimate heirs to the throne of Hi no Kuni. Two successors to perhaps the most powerful line of shinobi to ever grace our village, in either incarnation... and you won't let them take the chance? Then why are you here?"

The woman shrugged, "Firstly, Senju-sama, I mean no disrespect, but there is only one legitimate heir. While I am a direct relation to the former Daimyo, I am a woman, and I am barren, ruined by successive rapes the night of the attack."

Her voice had suddenly gone toneless, dead, but the words were still delivered with volume and voice modulation sufficient to make every word crystal-clear throughout the room.

Tsunade, long-used to the realities of war, nodded. "It would be a good way to break the hope of survivors... and even if they failed, there's always a chance they would have an heir on the throne next generation. All right, so _one _heir of Hi. There's still _two_ Sarutobi. Frankly, Yoshiyuki-san, I can understand your concern... but if they are truly ninja, then they belong beside us, not cowering somewhere. Give them the chance to make that choice. Please."

There were several second's silence through the large room, before, at last, the younger kunoichi nodded. "It is as you say, Senju-sama. I will send the letter as soon as this meeting is adjourned, under Jiraiya-sama's watchful care."

Tsunade had taken her seat again while Jiraiya, Choza, and Shikaku gave their reports. It wasn't until Inoichi had finished with his mundane business that she perked up. This was the part she was _not_ looking forward to, because with her luck... there was really no way around it, was there?

"Our last planned bit of business this afternoon. The time has come, we as a council are beginning to be bogged down, and we need to be able to make decisions faster. It is time for us to choose our leader."

Tsunade stood again, hating that she was the one the council had chosen (unanimously, aside from her own vote) for this duty. It was just a forerunner...

"Each of you will stand, one at a time, to either nominate or vote for a shinobi to take the place of our leader." _Hope that bit of subtle manipulation is enough... don't pick me, don't pick me..._ "You are _not_ limited to the shinobi of this council. We have decided that any ninja of proven loyalty, ranking Jonin or above in skill, is eligible for this position. We would ask, however, that you remember... this is a desk job. For the person elected, there will be no more missions, only endless, tedious paperwork."

Shikaku, surprisingly, spoke up out of turn, his drawl breaking Tsunade's train of thought quite effectively, "Senju-sama, quit making me _want_ to take the job, would you? Just because _you_ hate paperwork doesn't mean the rest of us couldn't use a nap..."

Several people in the crowd tittered. Even Tsunade smiled. _Damn him... I hate how he reads me so well. I should expect it from a Nara, though._

Twenty minutes later, the votes were in, and Tsunade was on the verge of tears.

_I hate my life... kids flying out of the nest, no matter how much we want them to stay._

_People coming to me with their petty problems left, right, and center._

_Jiraiya mad at me for something I _had_ to do... for him, no less..._

_And _now_ I have to get saddled with ten times the paperwork of the hospital, while doing _that, _too? My life's just not fair!_

"Lastly," Inoichi said, smiling with obvious relief (though only his own friend Choza had nominated him, right alongside Shikaku), "It's time to choose the name for our illustrious leader's position. Before we vote, I... I have to admit to wasting a bit of your time, but my daughter shared an anecdote with me not long ago, that I think is particularly relevant. If you'll bear with me for a minute or two..."

Only Tsunade would have possibly bothered with rejecting the experienced Jonin's request. It wasn't like Inoichi was long-winded, right? But she, quite frankly, was too depressed to care just then.

Of course, then the council and their Jonin learned that the normally-quiet blonde was _very_ loquacious when it came to his favorite child, his only daughter. It took twenty minutes, not a couple, to reach Inoichi's point: "... so after Ei explained what _he_ thought being a Kage, especially the Hokage, meant to him... well, when she told me that, it just clicked. Yes, we're now Ootori, not Konoha... but so what? We are still the ninja of the Land of Fire. We are still hidden in the flames, even if our flames now have wings. But does a Phoenix not cast a shadow? Some things change. And some stay the same. I, personally, believe that for all these reasons... Senju Tsunade should be named, like her grandfather before her, Shodaime Hokage of the Village Hidden by the Phoenix."

_Great, another reason to hate this job... now I'm just like grandpa... again..._

At least she'd been able to pawn off that silly necklace to Naruto as a gift 'for his protection' before he'd left, years ago, with Jiraiya.

(O)(O)(O)

"Naruto!"

The blonde in question whipped his head around, grimacing when he saw his fellow blonde, accompanied by the pink-haired girl he'd known his whole life. "Uh... hey, you two."

"Don't 'hey, you two' _me_, Naruto!" Sakura cried, limping rather than dashing now that she was within shouting distance, "How come you ran off again? Did you really think we wouldn't come after you? Seriously? Do you have so little faith in us?"

His cerulean eyes fell. "No... I just hoped you wouldn't. I had to try."

Now that they'd reached him, the medic patching him up stepped aside to give them some privacy. It wasn't anything bad, but he appreciated the quick relief from the pain anyway.

"But why, Naruto? Why did you abandon me, both of us, again? You... you said you'd stay."

He looked away, obviously hurt by the question. Naruto swallowed hard, grimacing again as he did so. A vindictive part of Sakura was glad it hurt, though most wished she could take all that away. "I had to... what would have happened to you two if something went wrong? If Gaara lost control, and hurt one of you? Or, what if, when I get to Iwa, the Akatsuki hurt you? Even kill you?"

Ino took Naruto's left hand in both of her own, holding it tightly between them. "Naruto, please look at me."

He gulped, forcing his eyes up. At that exact moment, she and Sakura were sharing a determined glance, but Ino looked down into his eyes just after. "I love you. It's crazy, I've only known you for a few months, but it feels like I know you better than I know myself. I _know_ how much that would tear you up, if either of us got hurt. But how do you think _we_ feel? It goes both ways. If you got hurt... do you think we'd make it, either?"

He shrugged again, saying nothing.

Sakura's voice quavered for a moment, "Naruto... she's right. But even besides all of that, there's a _reason_ ninja travel in squads. Without backup... too many things can go wrong. If you were beside me, I'd walk into Iwa naked, and feel like I was invincible. If you weren't there... I wouldn't go in with an army. Does that make sense?"

Several moments later, he nodded. "Y... yeah. I guess that was pretty dumb of me... but I _can't_ let you go with me. I'm sorry."

The kunoichi shared another glance. "Naruto..." Sakura began, but Ino continued when she trailed off, "We're coming. That's the end of it, all right? You can't make that decision for us. I'm sorry, I know you want to protect us, but... as much as we care about you, and you obviously care about Sakura, it's _her_ choice, and _my_ choice, to go with you. Not yours."

Temari, several feet away, frowned. Despite the sudden burgeoning crush she'd felt after learning the kind of man Naruto was becoming, she was still wise enough to know... she was far too late for a piece of that action. _Where are all the good men gone? Right there, ten feet away, snatched up by _two_ pretty girls... damn it. Some kunoichi have all the luck._

"Ino's right... but for one thing," Sakura said, "and don't even try to deny it, Naruto. You love her, too."

"I- I don't- but I love you- and-"

Sakura's quiet finger on his lips stilled the objections, though his eyes still displayed both discomfort and fear, "I know, okay? This is... this is what we've already been talking about. You loving her... has nothing to do with me. Your feelings for me are the same as they always have been, right?"

He nodded quickly, hoping the terror he felt would pass, or he would pass out. Either was good just then.

"But you still love her. You may not feel the same way about her as you do me, but it's love all the same, right?"

Ino, who was watching both Naruto and Sakura closely, was surprised by the lack of fear in the other girl's voice and eyes. She'd known, of course, that Sakura... well, Sakura wanted more-or-less what Ino wanted. But that kind of faith, that... that utter certainty that not only was the medic right, but that she was _glad_ she was right... Ino had no idea how she did it.

_Growing up surrounded by girls certainly had it's impact on my 'orientation', and I love her for it, but how she can just... just go _forward_ so easily when our whole situation is just so strange... Damn, Sakura, if I'd met you and gotten to know you before Naruto, I might have been a one-woman gal..._

When Naruto nodded at last, Sakura smiled warmly, "Did you know that, the same day the old pervert talked to you about rebuilding bloodlines, Tsunade gave me and Shizune the same talk? She was a bit nicer about it, since she was basically trying to convince both of us to be brood mares for a few kids, but she did. Naruto... It's crazy, and I hate the very idea, but... but if it's Ino... well, Ino and me... I'd be happy. Okay? Happy with you, and Ino, and me. And tons of blonde or pink-haired kids. Or at least a few."

Naruto's blue eyes spun to Ino's blue-greens. He was struck just then how the sometimes-bossy taller kunoichi was, in many ways, right in between he and Sakura, a column to support the bridge between them, holding up both halves of the whole. Even her eyes were almost right in the middle between his sapphire and Sakura's emerald.

The blonde girl nodded, also smiling, "I feel the same way, Naruto. I mean... I don't know about Sakura, but I've been bisexual since I hit puberty. She turns me on quite as much as you do, and damned if she hasn't become one of my best friends in the last few months besides. If things had been different... I'd be happy with just her, as happy as I'd be with just you. But... Kami, that she wants me as badly as you do? That's... wow, that's my wildest dream come true, and all my happiest, too."

Naruto blinked, looked down at his blood-stained sandals for a moment, then looked up. "You... you both mean it? You'd... you'd be with... with me? Forever? As... as a family?"

Both girls nodded as one, and Naruto smiled.

But when his crinkled eyes opened, he noticed for the first time the blood staining Sakura's pale skin, and the hole in her shirt, just above and to the right of her belly-button. "Sakura! You're- you're hurt!"

The medic nodded, "Yeah... but I'll live. I'd have healed myself, but I'm out of chakra. It's a good thing Ino was able to get some medical knowledge out of my head and has the chakra control to use it, or... well, this wouldn't be a happy reunion."

At once, he wrapped his arms around both of them, crushing the girls to him hard enough for Sakura to wince in pain. She didn't let him know, though... she had needed this as much as he did.

"Thank you," he cried to both of them, "Thank you for coming for me. For... for being there. Thank you for surviving, Sakura... Thank you, Ino, for bringing her with you. I... I don't know what I'd do if..."

The blonde girl patted his back with the one arm she could wiggle, "We know, Naruto... it was pretty hairy there for a bit, but we made it. Took down one of those damned Akatsuki guys, too."

He jerked away, staring wide-eyed at them. "You- you did? Who?"

Sakura replied, "Akasuna no Sasori. Puppet-master, rogue ninja from Suna."

Temari's eyes widened, and she called, "Sasori? Really? Did- where was the battle? Kankuro would kill for some of those puppets!"

Sakura shrugged, "About fifteen miles straight northeast, toward Oo- oh _damn_. I shouldn't have said that..."

Temari shrugged, "Don't worry about it, I didn't hear anything about where your Village is. Where was the _battle_? I can't believe two kunoichi who look no better than Genin took out the Scorpion of the Blood-red Sand! But we need to get out there and recover his puppets before someone else gets a hold of them!"

Ino smiled, "Well... someone _did_ get a hold of them. So tell me, blondie with a superiority complex, how much would Suna be willing to pay for that puppet collection?"

Temari's eyes narrowed, but it was Naruto who responded first, "Ino, give them the puppets. It's not worth fighting over, much less starting a war we can't win yet."

Ino pouted, but immediately reached into her pouch, pulling out three small scrolls. "They're just standard sealing jutsu, nothing fancy... one of them has his scrolls, another his loose weapons and poisons that I gathered up, and the last has his two puppets."

"Two? Just two? Damn... he must have hidden the rest."

"Huh?" Sakura asked, rather intelligently.

Temari shook her head, "Oh, nothing... Kankuro went on and on one day about how Sasori took hundreds of puppets of his own creation with him when he left the village twenty-five years ago, and had hundreds more made since. Best puppet-master the world's ever seen, and so on... even though he left the village, Kankuro really looked up to him. Still, if you've got his body and his main battle-puppet..."

Sakura's eyes widened, "Wait... we have more than that! His _body_ was a puppet! Both of them! The battle-puppet he called Hiruko or something, and then his own body was one too. It had this strange coil of cable with a poisoned spike in his stomach, that's what got me in the gut. The only living part of him was just a core that held his heart and not much else. It was really freaky, to be honest, but... he also said he kept his 'collection' in the scrolls. So maybe you _do_ have them all, now."

Temari's eyes were almost reverent as she took the three scrolls from Ino. A moment later, she looked up suspiciously, "You aren't trying to trick me, or anything? These are really... really his scrolls and everything?"

Ino nodded, looking pained, "Yeah... Naruto's right, it's _not_ worth a war, though I think it's really unfair that we can't even sell the booty from a fight that nearly killed us both."

Temari's eyes widened, "Well, if money's the problem... I don't know when exactly we'll be able to afford paying it with the repairs to Suna to pay for, but there's been a long-standing bounty on Sasori that numbers something like two hundred million ryo... If his body's in here, I'll make sure you get it, and damn what my father thinks."

"Your father? What would he have to do with it?"

Naruto answered, "Oh... Sakura, Ino, this is Temari, oldest child and only daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, uncle Tanaka."

"U- _uncle_?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Well.. not _really_. I think they're more related to Ino's family than mine, but they do have blonde hair, and how many blonde families are running around? I only know of two, really. The Yamanaka and the Senju-Uzumaki."

Ino blinked, "Wait... does that mean you're related to Senju-hime?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, she's... well, I guess _technically_ she's my cousin. That's what Ero-sennin says, anyway, and I guess he's right, since her grandmother and my grandmother were the same person, Hashirama Mito, formerly Uzumaki Mito. You know, the wife of the Shodaime Hokage? She was the first Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, too. But she was descended from his son, who died young and had no other offspring. The Nidaime was Hashirama-sama's brother, and he also died fairly young, with no heirs. That's why the old man- at least that's what Tsunade-baa-chan and Ero-sennin call him- Sarutobi was made the Sandaime. But the Shodaime's younger child, a daughter, was a red-head- that came from the Senju line, I think, while Tsunade's blonde hair came from the Uzumaki heritage- was named Kushina, and she was the second Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. That's my mother. I'm the third, obviously, so it's a direct line of birth for her in relation to being Hokage, and me for being Jinchuuriki. I guess... I understand why my dad chose me, after all. It's not just that I was there... or that he had faith I could handle it. Not that I doubt Kaa-san and Ero-kyofu about that, it's just... it almost seems like it's fate that I was born right then, when the Kyuubi needed to be re-sealed."

Sakura nodded, "And if Tsunade wins the election like I think she will, there'll be _three_ Senju in the ranks of Hokage."

Naruto nodded, suddenly grinning, "And then me, four!"

Their cheer was broken by a battered-looking Jonin, who scowled mightily at Ino, though he was directing his words at Temari only, "Temari-sama, your father requests that you escort our... guests... to the war room. He's come up with a plan."

Naruto frowned at the older man, "If that plan doesn't involve marching straight into Iwa, we aren't listening to a word he says. We don't have time to waste."

The Jonin sniffed, "I don't care what a Village-less brat like you thinks, boy. My orders are clear- to assist Temari-sama in your _escort_. Don't make me make it a forceful one."

Naruto's eyes rolled, "You're lucky I need your help, ya dick, and that it really isn't worth starting a war for. Just you and your Kazekage keep in mind... we aren't without strength of our own. And if you think Gaara was bad... wait until you piss _me_ off. You know what happened when the Kyuubi went on a rampage last... the strongest nation fell in a month. You? Two weeks. Tops."

Sadly, while Sakura knew enough of politics to know that Naruto was _not_ helping long-term relations with Suna, he was absolutely right, and the Jonin knew it. While it was doubtful that, young as he was, Naruto could actually level the village, he was quite probably able to weaken it enough that even a minor nation would be able to walk all over it alone... especially with the massive damage the place had suffered only hours before.

(O)(O)(O)

"Very well," Tsunade said, forcing calm to return to her voice, "I accept, damn it... and you'd better all consider yourselves lucky I've been planning for this... this terrible luck, or we'd all be doomed."

Most ignored her sub-optimistic views. Jiraiya even grinned behind her, happy she was suffering for what she'd done... _Karma's a bitch, isn't it, Tsunade? Cut _my_ hair, will you... how would you like it if I shaved _your_ head? I _need_ that hair! It's my best defensive jutsu!_

"So here's the plan..."

It took three more hours for Tsunade to outline the laws and regulations she and the Provisional Council had set up, most of which they were all (believe it or not) in agreement on. The fact that most of it was common sense, or at least common laws (no murder in the streets, no thievery, etc...) probably helped.

"Anyway, I thought of something during the meeting that I may as well cover now since you're all here. A couple of things, actually."

Several of the Jonin groaned. What had been touted as a simple mass-report meeting, a couple of hours out of their busy days, tops, had already stretched from ten to six in the evening, and now their new Hokage wanted _more_?

"This body as a whole- every member- will consider itself the Jonin Council of Ootorigakure. Every Jonin, upon achieving the rank, will be invested in this body, and all will have equal say. However, in the interests of not being stupid, priority seating will be given to the more tenured Jonin if we ever exceed the room's current capacity."

That went over fairly well, as far as Tsunade was concerned. It wouldn't require a lot of work... they were essentially to act as a judicial council anyway, much as Konoha's had.

"Secondly, the Provisional Council is hereby disbanded. All members as seated currently will now assume the same role under the Ootori Elder's Council."

Jiraiya was the only one out of the six who groaned. _Damn, just when I thought I'd get more time to research... I get paperwork instead? Damn you, Tsunade... if only I didn't love your body so much... well, and the rest of you too, I guess..._

"Lastly," most of the room was obviously happy this was the last issue, especially since the previous two had gone so quickly, "Spread the word to the civilians... when their numbers reach the point where they can effectively self-govern, I'll be setting up a civilian council to handle _only_ civilian matters. Anything at all relating to a ninja comes to this body."

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," Hiashi's measured voice interrupted many of the Jonin who were happily stretching before leaving the now-stuffy room.

This time, the groans were plentiful and loud.

"Yes, Councilor Hyuuga-san?"

Hiashi rose and bowed to the group at large, just as he'd done the first time during his report, "This is merely speculation, but there is a chance, perhaps a good one, that I can arrange for several hundred, perhaps as many as two thousand, civilians to add to our support and infrastructure."

Tsunade's jaw dropped. "S- several _hundred_? We don't even have three hundred in the village right now. Where would we find... _that_ kind of numbers?"

He blinked, "North... as most of you are aware, a few years ago the country of Nami no Kuni was essentially wiped out, it's survivors forced to flee into the northern wilds of Hi in fear for their lives from the slave-lord Gatoh of the Gatoh Corporation. They have... long been allies and trading partners with our old caravan. I believe, given the choice and a modest escort, they would be happy to settle here instead of the mostly lawless and defenseless tent-city they have been living in for nearly a decade."

For the first time that meeting, Tsunade smiled.

_That would certainly help a lot..._

After the Council had unanimously agreed to support that plan, the Jonin had filed out rather quickly, most no doubt hoping for a warm meal and bed.

The Council, however... well, Tsunade had need of some small revenge for them practically forcing her into this farce of a Hokage-ship.

"Okay, you six... Naruto's either in Suna making hell for us, or already gone on his way to Iwa. What the hell are we going to do about him, and the Iwa situation in general? Can we trust Kumo's overtures of alliance? They've always been antagonistic in the past, but with the way they treated our kids... and Suna, can they be trusted? We already have three known enemies in the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and Iwa. At least the Mist is a relative unknown, maybe even neutral, party. It's time to talk war... war I hope we have a chance in hell of winning."

**A/N2:** Okay, there's another one down. Was it any good? Terrible? Mediocre at best? Let me know, guys! I'm not begging here (hopefully it doesn't seem like it), but everyone who's written even one tiny fic knows that a review is like the best of crack + smex + money +... well, lots of good things. If it's a scathing critique or a glowing review, it's all helpful and all appreciated. Let me know how I'm doing, please! :)

A clarification just for, well, clarity: Naruto does use multiple forms of address for both Jiraiya and Tsunade in canon. He has more names for them in this fic (Kaa-san, Kyofu, etc), but he talks about them much the same way. They're no different for him than saying "bro", "brother", "hey, doofus", or whatever. All names are talking about the exact same person, and interchangeable in his eyes. If that's confusing, sorry... it's just the way Naruto is, and I have to do it to keep his voice unique.

Lastly, a few repeats in response to some reviews and comments from my beta: Yes, I screwed up the timing on Rin and Obito's deaths. . However... they are staying alive in the fic for now, because frankly, it's too much work to go back and fix them. I like writing Obito anyway, so... he's staying in at least as a minor character for now. Yes, Rin's still alive too, though she might surprise you once she makes her first non-cameo appearance in a couple of chapters. I'm taking her in a new direction... one I doubt you've ever seen her in before. Don't expect too many others to have magically 'survived' though; I've got enough (too many) effective OC's as it is. Practically every character in the story is at least slightly OC 'cause of the AU divergence(s), and it's already a stretch keeping them in line.

Anyway... yes, I know I screwed up, sorry, but I can't do much to fix it now without changing the story a lot. It'll all work out in the end, though, 'cause I'm a good problem-solver when it comes to plot. :)

Something to look forward to for next chapter: Well, Sasuke has a love interest... but what about poor, lonely Itachi, who in fanfic seems to only end up with men (Really? Pretty sure Itachi's not gay, though Kishimoto never said one way or the other...) or Sakura, who... no. Even less than Sasuke, _no_. At least not in canon or canon-ish fics. He might think she's cute, and even bearable in this fic, but he is not capable of even conceiving mentally (much less physically) an Uchiha with pink hair. Just... not gonna happen in any fic I write. Lol

However, Itachi... ah, Itachi... the 'good brother'... you are so lonely, aren't you? Well, not this time... Plot threads from the prologue are being resolved (or at least moving toward it) next chapter. The title? "A Tsunami Crashes". I hope that hint was as good for you as it is for me. :D

**Glossary:**  
To make up for last time with nothing, there's a bunch here. Ah well.

**Yoshiyuki Kaneko: **This name is the name of the Fire Daimyo's voice actor in the anime. It, like Tanaka for the Fourth Kazekage, is going to be his name in the fic, and every Naruto fic I ever write until/if we have an official name for him. He's dead, long since, and not of much relevance. He was a wishy-washy, thin man who was easily persuaded and of no real charisma himself.

**Yoshiyuki Tenna: **An OC of minor importance. She _is_ a Jonin-level shinobi, and was the oldest daughter of the Daimyo's youngest brother (of four, so she would normally have never been allowed such a risky profession). She is also of minor importance, mostly created because I couldn't have Asuma just showing up at the meeting with no announcement. He's too important and too many people would recognize him as Sarutobi's son, even if it's been eighteen years. It's not like he wasn't well-known even back then. Yes, her life has been hard, and it _may_ come into play later, but I doubt she'll amount to much. The most relevance she'd have would be a bit of romance between she and Asuma, who she knows very well (though not intimately at this point...), having spent eighteen years side-by-side. That would mean no Asuma/Kurenai, but I don't think I'm bringing Kurenai into the story at all except as a bit part, so no loss there. I like her character, but... just not needed here.

**Yoshiyuki Zankako: **_This_ is the one that's important. Yes, that's a daughter, so no, the Daimyo's family name would (possibly) not be the same... but sometimes in a case like this, it would be, especially in a neo-feudal society like Naruto's. She's a really pretty (in a classical way) young woman of nineteen, and I obviously plan to have her as the one Ootori wants on the throne of Hi, but you'll have to wait and see as to whether or not that comes to pass. As for romance... well... I've not made up my mind, but there _is_ a rather unattached shinobi in her life who shares a remarkable similarity in situation with the princess than Naruto did with Sakura growing up... see below for more details. :)

**Sarutobi Asuma: **Consider him almost identical to canon. The only differences are that he's a bit colder (he's been forced to make a lot of tough decisions on the run and in hiding to protect the Daimyo's niece and daughter, as well as his own nephew), not least of which is seeing all his friends die one after the other. He's actually a bit more like Kakashi in canon 'cause of that, but not so... off. Still smokes like a bonfire, though. He's very much a father figure to both of the teens in his care.

**Sarutobi Konohamaru: **As much as I love the canon character... Kono's going to be about as different from canon as Sasuke is. To put it mildly, having your father and mother killed in front of you, as well as finding out your only other remaining family (grandfather) had been killed in battle a couple weeks earlier by a monstrous chakra entity can do that to a person. However, Konohamaru _has_ had good things in his life. An uncle who's looked out for him, taught him all he could about being both a ninja and a man, an aunt-ish figure (Tenna), and a sister-girlfriend (though he wouldn't admit it yet...) in an exiled Princess... So while he's gonna be a bit different, as always, I'll strive to make him recognizable. Just don't expect the grandfather-envy and wanting to be recognized for his own deeds. That's something he's already got from the two/three people that matter to him. Later, though... who knows?

**Twelve Ninja Guardians:** Canon. Except the survivors, see below. All-but wiped out now, but unlike canon, _not_ officially disbanded. The Monk from the Sora arc? He was hunted down and killed long before the fic started, and is of no relevance now. Consider him one of Kakuzu's many bounties collected.

**Shiruka Zensi: **An OC name, but long-dead. He was the first of the surviving Guardians to die after they escaped with the heir(s). Sacrificed himself to allow the others to escape an Oto hunter-killer squad. Was once Asuma's second-best friend (behind the monk).

**Aburame Fuudo:** One of the guardians that Asuma did not get along with, mostly because he found out, after having known him for six years, that Fuudo was _not_ mute, he just hated talking. He was, however, a proficient ninja and excellent bodyguard. Was the newest recruit to the Guardians at the time of the war, and had only been serving for four years. He and Asuma never really got along, but like Naruto and Sasuke, had excellent teamwork when it mattered. Fuudo died two years prior to story start, in a battle Naruto was actually near but not involved with, on his way back from reconnaissance in the Hidden Mist. He was killed by Zabuza, and to this day, it was one of the Butcher's hardest-fought victories. Asuma does not know exactly what happened to Fuudo at this time (no one outside Zabuza and Haku do), but may or may not find out in future. Fuudo's death was actually ordered by Gatoh, and if it comes to light, the midget's a dead mini-man walking, 'cause Asuma knows all about payback after the life he's lead. Whether they got along or not, Fuudo was his comrade, and as the last of the Twelve... it would not just be Asuma's duty, but his honor.

**Genealogy:** I know it might seem odd, but... most of that's absolute truth-canon. The _only_ thing I'm making a call on is whether Tsunade or Naruto was descended from an older or younger sibling (and gender thereof) or whether or not it was the same sibling. Either way, they'd be cousins, so yes, that's canon, unless Hashirama somehow gets saddled with two (or more) wives by Kishimoto. Don't think that's happening, so... get used to the idea. [Uzumaki] Mito was Hashirama's wife, and therefore grandmother to both Tsunade and Naruto. The older through her parents (Assuming the name is Senju, and that seems to be more and more certain to be true in canon), and Naruto through Kushina. Both Kushina and (most likely) Tsunade's father were children of Mito and Hashirama. The only way they would _not_ be cousins would be if Kushina and Tsunade were siblings, which seems unlikely at this point, given not only the age difference but the hair color and different facial structures/eyes. It's more believable as cousins-once-removed or w/e it is that would make them.


	31. Chapter 31: A Tsunami Crashes

**A/N:** Three chapters without a huge wait! I'm on a roll of sorts! :D

Before we get to the story, however, a word of caution: There's a rant in the bottom AN. While I appreciate every single review I get (As I've never found a 'your story sux and you should die' review in my inbox), one I received for the last chapter caused a bit of consternation for me. Appreciated... but it still pissed me off. There's a warning before it starts if you want to skip it, but I thought I'd let you know now.

However, I figured since I'm leaving one unsigned-review reply (in the rant) in-post, I may as well respond to another. That one's here.

To _Frostbyte_: No, it's not going to be NaruSakuInoTema. I've said from the start (as you'll see in the rant below- again- that I've said NaruSakuIno and _just_ NaruSakuIno. It's not meant to be a harem story, but a story of polyamory... sort of. Besides, if Ino's with Naruto, who's left for poor Shika? Just Temari. :)

To _Lind_: See the rant. The rant at the bottom's for you.

Everyone else: Enjoy! I'm pretty sure most of you will be satisfied as to why the hair-cut... :)

**Chap. 31 A Tsunami Crashes**

"All right, woman, out with it! Why am I suddenly hairless?"

"Oh, quit your exaggerating, Jiraiya. You still have plenty of hair. And don't call me 'woman' unless you want me to remind you that you don't _have_ to be considered a 'man' in the future."

Jiraiya's expression did not change as he glared across the kitchen of his luxurious apartment (one of the finest in the Village at the time, and far too grand for his tastes) at his long-time friend and love. "Quit stalling and answer my damned question, Tsunade!"

Despite her growing defensiveness, the medic's voice was soft and measured, "I... did it for you. For me. For us."

Jiraiya blinked, frowning further, "How could _cutting my hair_, which I _need_, help me? Or you?"

Tsunade turned away, staring for a few seconds out the large window at the village below, hands clasped behind her back, "Well... you know I'm probably the best practitioner of medicine, chakra-based or otherwise, in the world, right?"

He snorted, "What fool don't know that? You're probably as famous as _I_ am."

The blonde glared over her shoulder at him, "Famous for _porn_. Wow, that's something your mother would have been proud of you for! At least I'm _useful_."

The Toad Sage's eyes narrowed slightly, "In a year, you ask those two girls following Naruto around if I'm not damned useful to this world."

"... huh?"

Jiraiya explained, "That kid, who's read every page more than once, even helped me write a couple, and _did_ write one himself, knows more about sex, making love, and the physical arts than any other male I've ever met aside from myself. He's eighteen, and _still a virgin_. When he can actually apply what he's learned... let's just say his girls will never be unsatisfied. You bring people happiness by keeping them healthy and alive, I do it by bringing them personal happiness, in their bedrooms and relationships."

Tsunade snorted, "You sure are damned full of yourself, aren't you, old toad?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "No reason not to be. I _am_ just that damned good. Now... why... did... you... cut... my... hair?"

Tsunade reached into her gi top and pulled out a small scroll from the pocket inside it's left breast, and handed it to him. "Unseal."

A few seconds later, Jiraiya was staring at a mass of complicated charts, diagrams, and repeated strings- _long_ repeated strings- of T, A, C, and G in various combinations, all scattered across his coffee table. "What am I looking at?"

Tsunade made sure she had his attention before whispering, "DNA reconstruction. A medical technique so advanced it makes my Creation Rebirth technique look like... like an Academy Student's _kawarimi_. The mitochondria are stimulated in that jutsu, replacing old cells with new ones, advancing the physical age of my body with each use. But this new ability... if I can make it work... has a very similar effect, but without the side-effect. Instead of making my cells divide almost instantaneously... it actually _creates_ new cells."

"And... what's the difference?"

Tsunade shook her head, ruffled around in the stack for a moment, and pulled a paper from the bottom, showing it to Jiraiya across the table, "I'm not able to use my grandfather's Wood release. Do you know why?"

"You're not Earth or Water, right?"

Tsunade nodded, "Right. I'm Lightning-natured. But I still carry the DNA code for the kekkei genkai. That ability to stimulate growth in plants is what I modified to make the Rebirth seal, if you remember."

"Well, I _did _create the actual seal. Of course I remember."

Tsunade smiled, glad she'd distracted him from his anger, "Right... and I'm going to need your help with another one, because I'm taking the Rebirth seal off and replacing it with this new one... again, if I can make it work."

"But you still haven't said _why_. What does it _do_?"

Tsunade's look was steely, "I... I don't know how well I can explain it to a layman, but what I'm really doing is... taking your DNA- that's why I needed your hair- and your chakra, because you have more than almost anyone in the Village, Shizune's medical expertise, and my dormant bloodline to create an entirely new set of organs... growing them artificially, inside my body, at the same time that Shizune is systematically destroying the old ones."

Jiraiya looked quite confused, "So... so you're removing a jutsu that helps you in battle to get a slightly more-powerful jutsu... that you _can't_ use in battle? That sounds like it'd be really time-consuming."

Tsunade nodded, "Yes... but I only have to do this _once_. If it works, _when_ it works, I'll have all the necessary DNA, chakra, and skill for the cells to grow already inside me. That's what the new seal would do, unleash those... and like the Rebirth seal, it would not take hours or days, it would be almost instant."

Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully, hands now clasped under his chin as he stared at the paper, "Okay... so what's the point? You've significantly decreased my combat ability to increase your own... why?"

Tsunade was silent for a long time. So long, in fact, that he eventually tore his eyes from the confusing mass of notes to look at her. What he saw surprised him. She was blushing like a school-girl, unable to meet his eyes.

"'Hime?"

"Do you want children, Jiraiya?" Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it.

"We have kids. Don't we?"

Tsunade shook her head, still looking down, "You know they're our kids... but I mean... genetically. By blood. I'm the last one that can carry on my grandfather's genes, and... and your family would want you to do the same, right? And... and I want... I just want to be a mother. Just once."

The wistful hope in his beloved's voice was too much for Jiraiya's self-control to handle. "'Hime..." he muttered, before quickly standing and moving to the opposite couch, wrapping her in his arms. "You know there's nothing I've wanted more than... than to be yours. To have a family with you... but... are you sure about this? I mean... you know that means we'd have to... well, have sex."

Her fist met his shoulder with force just short of throwing him off the couch and through a wall, but it still stung. "Of course I do, idiot! I told you before... I love you, and even if it's taken me thirty years to realize it after Dan... well... I want to be with you. That's why I've done all this work."

Jiraiya snorted, "So it's not to benefit medicine worldwide?"

Her brown eyes glared into his darker ones when she pulled back, "No. No one else can use this. It's a hundred times more dangerous than the Rebirth, so I'm burning all my notes. As far as the world is concerned, _no one_ knows it exists. Just you, me, and Shizune. And if it goes wrong... you'll have to do it for me. We _can't_ let someone like Sakura get a hold of it if it's a failure. You know what that'd do to Naruto."

Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah... so... so you need my DNA, huh? You could have just asked... I'd be happy to have given you a sample."

His chuckles were interrupted by his body making a crater in the wall next to his door. "Ow... still worth it..."

(O)(O)(O)

"... so there you go. Our plan is to open negotiations with Iwa to allow your team, consisting of yourselves and several Suna Jonin, to enter Iwagakure unmolested. Meanwhile, you will have local support from the border patrol teams in the vicinity on the Iwa side, and-"

"No."

Every ninja in the room stared at Naruto, who had dared to interrupt the Kazekage. "Ex- Excuse me?" the older ninja asked, clearly not used to being either interrupted or denied.

"I said no. That plan won't work. And frankly, uncle Tanaka, I'm disappointed in you."

"I am too, father. What you're trying to do is despicable."

Naruto's eyes, along with everyone else's, flickered to the Kazekage's left side, where Temari stood, frowning.

"I mean... this plan is decent, if we had a year to parley. We don't. Naruto's friend is going to die in a day or two at most, and now they have Gaara. That leaves, what... two Bijuu left, counting Naruto's? What the hell are we supposed to do against an enemy that has _all_ the Bijuu? How are we supposed to stop them? Unless... unless you're on their side."

Several people in the chamber gasped at Temari's whispered final words.

One sharp-eyed and -chinned Jonin with a black goatee glared at Temari and hissed, "Kazekage-sama's daughter or not, you are very close to uttering treason, girl."

Tanaka nodded, "That's true," interrupting Yuura, "and I'll have an explanation, Temari. Why would you say such a thing?"

It wasn't that blonde who answered, though. The one who did had much longer hair, and was standing next to Naruto, "Because it's true, maybe? I can read you, Kazekage-sama. You aren't as good at hiding your thoughts and emotions as you think... at least not to a Yamanaka."

There was an instant uproar around the meeting room, several of the Jonin yelling for Ino's blood at daring to use a mind-technique on their Kage.

A quick blast of demon-tainted chakra from Naruto silenced the lot of them. "Quit squabbling like children. Hell... I'm the youngest ninja in this room, and everyone around me is losing it? What the hell's wrong with this picture?"

No one answered, though both Yuura and Tanaka raised one eyebrow at Naruto.

"Ino," the whiskered shinobi asked, turning to her, "did you use any jutsu at all since we entered this room? Or against the Kazekage at all?"

She shrugged, "'Course I didn't. I'm not stupid, someone would have detected it. But everyone in this room should know there's more to interrogation than jutsu. Body language, posture, facial ticks... that's all I've been watching. And your Kazekage's a lying traitor to people he calls 'allies'."

All the calm brought by her reasonable explanation fled at once. This time, it was the Kazekage himself who stopped it, with a roar for silence.

"What is your rank in your little village, Yamanaka-san?" he said, once some modicum of control had been regained.

Ino shrugged, "Don't know, we haven't finished the year in the Academy they're requiring for even experienced sub-Jonin ninja to assess our skills. They keep sending us on missions."

Naruto and Sakura both said at once, "Chunin. She's a Chunin."

Tanaka paused for a moment, then nodded, "Very well. Chunin Yamanaka, what is the basis for this accusation?"

Again, someone else answered, this time Temari again, "Don't be stupid, father, and assume they are. They didn't get into the heart of Suna, and _save our Village_ to attack us, or you."

Naruto nodded, "She's right, unc- _Kazekage_. You know very well how easily I could wipe out the village with the damage it's already sustained today. That I haven't is proof of my intentions, since Suna has already betrayed Ootori once. Under your leadership, I might add, no matter that it was ordered by your Daimyo. So no, I won't be waiting for Iwa to assemble a strike team to take me out, or if you've allied with them instead, for a team or two of the Akatsuki to be waiting for me. Instead... I think we're leaving now. Stay out of Hi no Kuni. You won't like the consequences if you don't."

Tanaka frowned, but when his Jonin made to block Naruto, Sakura, and Ino's way, he gestured them aside, "Let them go. It's not worth it."

Just before the trio had reached the half-destroyed gates, a feminine voice called from behind, "Wait!"

If he hadn't recognized it, Naruto would not have listened. He was fuming far too much to be nice. Even Sakura and Ino were keeping a bit of distance.

However... "What do you want, Temari?"

The blonde huffed from annoyance, "Sorry about my dad... he's... I knew he was up to something, but I had no idea it was like that. He wants to sell you to _both_ Iwa and the Akatsuki, and has already sent messages. Your best bet is to get there before they have time to set up a counter."

He turned, noting that the tall blonde had a full kit on her back, her huge fan in hand. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Temari shrugged, glanced at the other girls, and replied, "Coming with you, of course."

"No you aren't," Naruto growled, before spinning on a heel and continuing to leave the Village.

At once, three pairs of feet starting walking behind him.

"I said you _aren't_ coming, Temari. Don't make me stop you."

She snorted, "You won't do that. I saw you look at my bare forehead. You can tell I'm... I'm leaving the Village. I won't serve a Kage who can turn his son into a monster, betray his close allies _twice_."

Naruto actually stopped, and several of the gate ninja he could see hiding in the vicinity gasped audibly, "You can't do that," he said quietly.

"Sure I can. 'Cause you were right. We've been the monsters... and I don't want to be that way any more."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I don't mean... if you leave, who's going to remind Suna about what matters?"

Temari blinked, "I... Kankuro?"

Sakura snorted, "Your brother's an idiot."

This time, the four-tails blond sighed, "Yeah... you're right... but I _have_ to help you. Or is... were your words meaningless, Naruto? Isn't it the friendships, the relationships, that matter, that keep us from being monsters? Or... or is my chance gone completely? Is it too late for me to try and be human?"

Sakura was surprised when she glanced over to see his head hanging.

"No... no it's not. Come on. But you _aren't _leaving Suna... not for good. You're just coming on a rescue mission with us."

Temari nodded, "Good enough for me. Let's go save my brother and your friend."

As one, the three from Ootori nodded.

(O)(O)(O)

"I'm looking for the man called Tazuna. I've heard he's staying in this part of the camp."

The old man looked up for a moment before he paled so much he almost matched the speaker's complexion, "I- I won't tell you nothin'! Gato's ninja tried before, and we ain't said a thing! You- your little runt ass ain't gonna make me talk!"

Uchiha Itachi shook his head slowly, making sure to keep his hands empty (not that he needed a weapon), "I'm not here to hurt Tazuna-san. I merely wish to speak to him on behalf of my Village."

"Go away! Tazuna-sama don't take no visitors!"

Itachi nodded, "I understand. I will wait."

"You don't understa-"

But the old man's yell was cut off by his own mouth clapping shut.

Apparently, by 'wait', Itachi had meant 'bow his back and get to work in the fields', because that's exactly what the ninja was doing. He'd picked up a worn sickle, run it a few times along a sharpening stone, and moved to the next row of the field in the time the old man had gotten out two and a half words.

Said elderly gentleman, and more than a dozen other people struggling to grow enough to keep their community alive in the marshy, yet rocky terrain, got to watch a ninja humbling himself to work alongside them in the fields.

For seven hours straight.

"All right, I guess... I guess Tazuna-sama will see you," the old man said suspiciously, "but don't try no funny business!"

Itachi shook his head, "I would not dare. I am a skilled ninja, but there are many, many more of you than me." _Even if I could kill you all with a single jutsu... that would not be very nice._

"R- Right! So we'll be watching you!"

It took twenty minutes to track down the old man. After having checked Tazuna's tent (twice, when the young man of about fifteen had scowled at them that he was sleeping and no one else was home before pulling his messy-haired head back inside and zipping the flap), the neighbors, the cooking area, the field-chiefs, and several others, they had returned a third time near sunset.

"Tazuna-sama? Are you there?"

A reply was heard at once, "What is it, Tadaji? Come on in, but wipe your feet. Just got done getting yelled at for the same thing... Like any spot around here's _not_ covered in mud."

Itachi heard the half-volume grumble quite clearly through the canvas, and had to hold back a smile.

But once he followed the older farmer inside, that stoic expression was replaced by a smile so powerful he could not even begin to resist it.

In later years, Itachi would vaguely recall hearing things like "Never seen anything like it," and, "ninja working the fields. Don't know what he wants..."

But at that time, Uchiha Itachi lost the first battle of his life, and he lost it _hard_.

So perhaps he could be forgiven for failing to remember the details of the conversation, until an old man- not as old as the farmer- with a lined, sun-darkened face all the same, coughed loudly, "Quit ogling my daughter, ninja-san!"

Itachi blinked.

_Daughter? I don't... I don't _ogle_!_

But as the blush spread across his cheeks, an altogether strange sensation for him, Itachi realized he'd been doing just that. Because across the tent's single large room, a raven-haired woman of incomparable beauty was staring back at him, blushing as furiously as Itachi felt he himself was.

After several more awkward seconds, the old farmer, Tadaji, burst into raucous laughter. "Ha ha ha! Oh, Tazuna... I'm so sorry for your loss! You'll never see dear Tsunami again after today! This ninja's come to whisk her away!"

That shook the two blushing people out of their stupor just enough for Tsunami, _A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,_ Itachi thought, to whirl around and return her attention to sewing a patch on a threadbare blanket.

The spell now broken, Itachi turned to the man who'd been presented as Tazuna, giving a low bow. "Tazuna-sama, I am Uchiha Itachi. I have come with a contingent of ninja from Ootorigakure to escort your people to our village. If, that is, you would prefer a more permanent settlement."

Tazuna's eyes widened.

"P-permanent? You mean... you mean you want us to uproot from our home of the last decade, after we were driven out of our last one, and... and live with you? With ninja?"

Itachi nodded, "The details of our Hokage's proposal are all in this scroll," he reached into his pouch and withdrew it, presenting it for Tazuna to take, "but I can answer any questions you have. Before we get to that, though, I have been asked to relay a message from Hyuuga Hiashi-dono."

Tazuna blinked, more shocked yet.

"He says, 'Tazuna-san, I regret not being able to come personally. Our Shodaime Hokage's appointment of myself to the Ootori Elder's Council has precluded me from making the journey. As well, I would like to extend an invitation to you to attend my daughter Hinata's upcoming wedding in six month's time. This, of course, is extended regardless of your acceptance of the Hokage's offer.' That is the entire message."

Tazuna blinked, "Hi- Hiashi-sama's daughter is getting married?"

Itachi nodded, "Hyuuga-sama and our Clan Head are in arrangements as we speak. My little brother is... very excited."

This time, the bridge-builder turned community-leader grinned, "Your little brother, eh? Lucky man, he is... that Hinata's a pretty young lady."

Tazuna did not miss Itachi's eyes flickering across the tent, Itachi mouthing, "not as pretty as _your_ daughter," or the blush on both younger people's faces that showed Tsunami's hearing was as good as ever.

"All right," he said, "I'll look over the offer. You should probably head back to your contingent, let them know we're open to negotiations. Just stay back from the picket line, would you? We've had to be pretty on guard these last few years to protect ourselves from bandits or worse, and I'd hate to start an incident because one of our guards was trigger-happy against a ninja."

Itachi nodded, "I will warn our forces. When should I return?"

Tazuna unfurled the scroll, "Tomorrow morning, that should be fine. It doesn't look like there's a lot of details to hammer out."

Once again, Itachi nodded, "Very well. I will return tomorrow shortly after dawn. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Tazuna-san."

Once the old man bowed, Itachi turned to the far corner of the tent, "And... Tsunami-hime," giving an even lower bow, before rushing out of the tent, quite a bit more flustered than he could ever have imagined being just a few minutes earlier.

_Why did I say that? Why did I call her that? I don't understand. What's wrong with me?_

In the tent, Tazuna began to laugh, while his daughter's face continued to grow more and more red.

**A/N2:** So what did you think? Let me know, please! I'm quite happy with the high number of reviews for the last two chapters, but more is always good! (And I always wonder why similarly-styled and -skilled stories have thousands of reviews but I have yet to break 200 on any story... at least until chapter 30, when I broke that for OH thanks to you guys! :D)

So there's the resolution to some more recent plot points... and one old one. More coming, 'cause I have to clear room for the big plot points for the climax. :)

**RANT:** In response to review by "_Lista_": (Review as follows, in italics)

"_Ugh, why must authors make __the girls lesbian when they pair Naruto with two  
girls. You know it is possible for them to be straight and still accept the  
situation. That just turned me off the story and don't say it wouldn't be  
different for you guys if Sakura was paired with two guys and you made them  
gay for each other. You males are pretty blind when it comes to females, but  
scream bloody murder and disgust when it's guys. Thanks for the story up until  
now and good luck with the rest."_

My response:

I haven't made either girl a lesbian. Thanks for jumping to conclusions, first of all. Ino says flat-out that she's bisexual, and Sakura hasn't said anything either way. Sorry if it's not totally clear, but while Sakura _does_ find Ino physically attractive, and likes kissing her... she's not a lesbian _or_ bi. To her, Ino is a best friend, and one she feels close enough to (and finds attractive enough) that she feels she can spend her life next to her, as long as Naruto's there.

_Naruto_ feels, however, that Ino is the bridge between he and Sakura, rather than feeling, as Sakura does, that she (Sakura) is the bridge between he and Ino. Ino... just wants both.

Yes, I am perfectly aware that it's possible for everyone concerned to be straight and have a polygamist relationship. I grew up in Utah, and, frankly, I'm more familiar with that lifestyle than I want to be (not being a polygamist myself, they are still around...).

_However_... I have made it clear, over and over from the beginning, that it would be a three-way relationship, and just as much Sakura x Ino as Naruto x Either girl. If that bothers you this late in the game (chapter 30!), then I'm sorry... but I'm not the one pulling a fast one here. I've never made any bones/lie/joke/etc about how the story would be, not once.

Third- All due respect here, but who the hell are you to tell me what I think and feel? I have nothing against gay males. I've been hit on by more guys than girls (though I'm straight myself), and frankly... I don't care. So what? I don't like yaoi. I'm straight. I don't care if other people do. It doesn't bother me at all that people like reading it... why should it? They're entitled to their opinions, just like I am.

What people are _not_ entitled to do, however, is push their thoughts, viewpoints, opinions, and outright _judgmental nature_ on other people.

Wanna hear something funny?

That's what you just did.

Not me.

_You_.

By accusing me of being "a 'pretty blind' male" [Those words are yours, rearranged for clarity(?)] for writing _my_ story the way _I_ want to, you have pushed your opinions on to me. You have attempted to take away _my_ God-given right to live my own damned life.

So good job, you win the hypocrit of the day award. You must be so proud! I'll be looking forward to your acceptance speech at the award ceremony.

Lastly, you're quite welcome for the (29) chapters you enjoyed... again, where I made it repeatedly, abundantly, clear that it was gonna be NaruSakuIno (even in the summary, just like that!). I won't say, however, that I'm sorry you didn't like the last chapter... it's your call, not mine, to make.

If you want to stop reading, that's your decision, and while I (obviously) think it's a rather silly choice to make, I would defend your right to make it yourself to the death.

Even if you don't want me to have that right to myself... it _is_ my right to make that choice for myself.

Thank you. /bow

Anyway... sorry 'bout the rant, I just felt that needed to be said. More important things below!

**Glossary:**

**Creation Rebirth**: Do I really need to clarify this? It's Tsunade's forehead-seal. It works as described, by stimulating cellular mitosis (splitting) to grow new cells faster. It's capable of healing all but instantly-lethal wounds instantly (like Naruto, except faster), restoring all damage. It has the drawback of aging her body every time she uses it, though, which is why she appears older than her 52(ish) years in canon underneath her genjutsu.

"**Tsunade's new jutsu":**This is a tentative name, but I think I'm going to go with "Ootori Genesis", for reasons that should be partially obvious, and the rest... well, if you think about it, you'll figure it out. She's essentially bringing her past self back to life inside her own body with this jutsu, using a combination of Jiraiya's DNA, the Senju DNA, and a few other factors. More about it later in-story. Likely there'll be a chapter, or at least a scene, devoted to this.

**Tazuna's family**: Not worth multiple entries. Yes, the kid in the tent was an older Inari (who's sleeping during the day 'cause he's on night watch), and the woman in the tent was obviously Tsunami. They, like Tazuna, are a bit different than canon (Gato won...), but it won't change the story significantly. There will be other scenes, though, not least of which being a confrontation between Inari and ITACHI rather than Naruto, about what being a man is all about. He gets to play daddy to a kid just a bit younger than Sasuke all over again! Poor sod... but Tsunami's worth it. :D


	32. Chapter 32: Intrld: Setting up the Board

**A/N:** Well, first, apologies for the wait- but this time, it's _not_ my fault. I had this chapter (mostly) done on Sunday, but had no internet, and haven't until today. I had it ready to go by 10AM local time Sunday, so after that... blame the internet company that let our service go down for a couple of days.

Sorry for those looking for action this chapter... it's not here. That's next time. This time, however, has something I wish we'd seen in canon... and something I think many of you will enjoy!

Thanks again to my beta, Mouserr... it's actually checked over now

Lastly, fear not if you think just 'cause I started posting a Fallout3 fic that any story of mine is abandoned. Delayed, no.  
Just spreads my writing time out a bit more. But since I have a lot of it, it shouldn't affect my updates too much... that's honestly more me not having any focus since my 3-chapter dash anyway. Enjoy!

**[Edit:** Sorry for the confusion, but a reader (Thanks, Angel Kiya!) pointed out that I'd double-posted the chapter (including ANs) inside this one, so I'm just editing that out. It's not a new/replaced chapter. :) **]**

**Chap. 32 Interlude: Setting up the Board**

Naruto's geography lessons at the Jiraiya's feet may have been much more hands-on than Sakura's at Tsunade's, but he had no-where near his girlfriend's ability to recall normally-worthless data at the drop of a hat.

"So... what village is that again?" he asked, curious as to why the people were all running for their lives to get under the cover of sturdy awnings, or better, steel-reinforced buildings, when the storm approaching from the northwest seemed perfectly normal, if severe.

"It's the Village of Stones, Naruto-kun," Ino groused, "like she's told you twice already."

Temari scowled, "Traitorous dogs, the lot of them. They used to be a protectorate of Kaze no Kuni, but they turned their backs on our long history of protecting them and joined up with Iwa instead. They have their own Hidden Village, of course, but Ishigakure is tiny, only twenty or thirty ninja per generation. Just a couple of no-name clans."

Naruto frowned, "Wait... Stones... is this the place where that weird thing happens with the rocks getting blown off the mountains to the north all over the country?"

Temari nodded, eyes widening alongside the other two girls', "Oh crap. We need cover, now!"

But the first pebbles were already starting to fall, and they were more than five miles from the village outskirts, nestled as it was in the valley below.

"Tree, boulder, anything!" Ino cried, wiping blood from her forehead after being struck by one of the falling stones.

"I can do better! Can you cover us for a few seconds, Tema-chan?" Naruto asked hurriedly, eyeing the hillside to their right suspiciously.

"Sure!", the tall blonde nodded while pulling out her fan and whipping it upwards, "Kamaitachi!"

A moment later, Sakura watched a brilliant cerulean sphere- identical to Naruto's eye color- begin to grind into the earth beside them, guided by both of Naruto's hands.

"Naruto! Is that- the Rasengan?"

The boy nodded, grunting with exertion, "Y-yeah... bit hard to hold one this large, so... if you could just wait... with... the questions..."

Only then did Sakura realize what exactly was going on.  
The spiralling sphere of chakra Naruto was holding between both hands was not the dinky little thing their father-figure formed so easily.  
It wasn't even _close_ to palm-sized, for one thing. For another, even though Sakura hadn't seen Jiraiya perform the attack since they were children, she was absolutely certain the sage's had not been rotating at anything near the speeds Naruto's was reaching, despite being perhaps twelve times as large.

Of course, the noise of chakra-on-stone was deafening, a wailing shriek that made both of the girls not occupied with repeated wind jutsu cover their ears, wincing in pain.

It took nearly five minutes to carve out a spot large enough for all of them to rest somewhat comfortably in.

"Well," Temari exhaled, clearly worn by the exertion, "I think we can skip that next time, right? Get into cover as soon as we see the sky change, like they did?"

Naruto, just as tired as well as quite scratched up from the stone shrapnel he'd been in close proximity to for several minutes, nodded. "Y- yeah, sounds good... We should've just found a big... rock."

Sakura, looking at her oldest friend, nodded, "Yeah... but I have to admit, Naruto, that for an on-the-fly plan, this was pretty good... no matter how unorthodox."

Ino agreed, "Totally! Even if no one else in a million years could have pulled it off, you took advantage of yours and Sabaku-san's unique abilities without any hesitation. That's really good leadership."

Naruto blushed and looked down, muttering, "It wasn't anything special..."

Temari, watching the three interact, held back a wistful sigh. _Oh well... You two sure are lucky, Naruto's a really good guy. I hope you know that._

(O)(O)(O)

Uchiha Sasuke, younger son of the current head of the Uchiha Clan, and one of the Elders of Ootorigakure, was not having a very good time.

_Party... yeah, party for who? It's just an excuse for the old, once-wealthy clans of Konoha to hob-nob with each other. It's _my_ engagement party, and hardly anyone's even spoken to me. Even Itachi looks bored! _

What was most disconcerting for Sasuke, though, was that, engagement party or not, he had not seen his bride-to-be since he had been roped into the arrangement all-but against his will a few days before. After the disconcerting meeting he'd had with the patriarch of the Uchiha's sworn rivals, the Hyuuga, Sasuke had hardly known what had happened. It wasn't until the next morning, when he'd woken from a terrifying dream in which wedding bells- and the wedding night- featured prominently, that the younger Uchiha scion had understood. _Really_ understood. Eighteen, barely able to carry on a civilized conversation... and he was suddenly affianced to a _princess_. An _enemy_ princess, at that... not that he, for one, thought the Hyuuga and Uchiha were enemies. Reluctant allies at worst... _At least we're all on the same side, right?_

With a sigh, Sasuke let his eyes sweep the room. The only pair he thought might be having a good time were the new Hokage, Senju Tsunade, and her suddenly-announced-as-well fiancee, Jiraiya of the Sannin. The two older ninja were in a corner, studiously avoiding the growing crowd of people wanting their leader's ear by the simple virtue that they had eyes and ears only (it seemed) for the other.

Sasuke snorted into his drink after taking another sip. _You'll never catch _me_ so starry-eyed over a woman. I know Jiraiya-sama's powerful and all, but there's no way he can fight to his full potential with that big-breasted woman slowing him down and distracting him._

A moment later, Sasuke's train of thought was derailed catastrophically.

He hadn't noticed, at first, the quiet coming over the room, until a passing servant gave a very low cough and wiggled his eyes to Sasuke's left, clearly indicating he should follow everyone elses' gaze as well.

And then he saw her.

What had once been a vision of poisoned beauty (marred, of course, by association with her father... and worse, _politics_, the bane of any good warrior) was now...

Sasuke could not help but sigh in wistful contemplation.

Why couldn't he get a girl like that?  
Like... her?

Lavender eyes met his, accompanied by a powerful blush that showed on her plunging neckline, if not through the pale makeup covering her face.

Sasuke smiled, nodding at the apparition who had appeared, escorted by her cousin Neji, at the party. Several of the older gentleman began to clap and bow, while the women cooed and aahed over Hinata's cerulean satin gown, her indigo hair, coifed into ringlets that fell in waves around her shoulders, and...

_No! Don't go crazy over some woman, Sasuke! Who cares if she's beautiful? Are you a shinobi, or a housewife?_

Sasuke coughed in an attempt to recover his bearings, gave Hinata a nod from across the room, and promptly turned away.  
As a result, he was the only one in the entire room who failed to notice the Hyuuga princess' face fall from radiant (if shy) joy to something more closely resembling melancholy.

(O)(O)(O)

"Hai, Tazuna-san," Itachi agreed, "I believe that will be acceptable. If we are in agreement, I will return to Ootori before dawn to give them your modified proposal."

The former bridge-builder smiled with a weary nod, "Yeah, sounds good, Itachi-san. Hey, listen... I know you ninja don't usually go back on your word, or anything, but... but I got responsibilities, you know?"

Itachi nodded, "Of course, Tazuna-san. While _some_ ninja," he stressed the word with obvious disdain, "choose to embark on a less-honorable path, Ootori has pledged itself to a path of honor and righteousness. Our word is our bond."

Tazuna nodded, looking away and faking a cough to buy himself time to come to grips with what he wanted to say, "Well... it's just that... like I said, I have... responsibilities. There's... well, there's a lot of people that look to me, you know? If this... if this is just some trick, or something... it'll be on me, you know?"

Itachi nodded, "Yes, I believe I understand your concern. How can I assure you of Ootori's intentions?"

Several of the refugee's elders sitting around the table in the dimly-lit room looked away from the two primary negotiators. One, however, did not, an old woman Itachi thought might have resembled an Uzumaki, were it nor for her black hair, which was still pitch-dark despite obvious advanced age. Instead, the old woman scowled directly at him, "And even if you and your friends are being truthful," she muttered, "what's to say you're actually _able_ to keep your word? What happens when Kaminari no Kuni, or Tsuchi, or Kaze, or Mizu get wind of what you're doing? Why wouldn't they wipe you off the map, like they did with Konoha eighteen years ago and taking us with you?"

Itachi, reading the situation for what it was, stood and looked around the gathered crowd calmly before answering, his voice as steady as always, "Ootori is not as strong as Konoha once was. However, our strength grows daily. It would be foolish of us to assume we can defeat any of the five larger nations in battle. To be perfectly frank, we would be hard-pressed to defend ourselves against smaller nations at this point in a pitched war."  
Itachi continued to scan the room, taking in the measure of several he knew would be supportive of Ootori for whatever reason, some who were violently opposed (few though they were), and more importantly, the ones like this old woman who just weren't sure.  
"However, it is my firm belief that we have passed the point of being able to defend ourselves if necessary, because of several important factors. First, for whatever reason, be it the grace of Kami, pure dumb luck, political machinations amongst the other nations, or them simply wanting to see what we would do to the status quo, we have been given time to fortify, expand our power base, and dig in that we might not have had."  
Tazuna, amongst others, nodded. The refugees had been in a similar position for more than six years, ever since the Gatoh Corporation had gained near-total control over Nami no Kuni. Ever since then, when the refugees had fled their homeland to hide in the wilds of northern Fire Country, they had been living on borrowed time. Mercenaries under the control of Gatoh, shinobi working for any nation around, or even just a large bandit group could have wiped them all from the map, or worse, taken their daughters, wives, and even sons to strengthen their own numbers and killed the rest.

Itachi, though, was not done. "Second, while Konoha fell, clans such as Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, Hatake, Senju, Uchiha, and the Hyuuga you know best still carry a certain amount of weight. Each of those clans are represented in Ootori, as they were in Konoha. The allies we collectively gained during the hard times that followed Konoha's destruction such as yourselves are a further strength. With each new citizen of Ootori, civillian or otherwise, we become better able to defend ourselves as well.  
"Third... The representative of the Senju, Tsunade-hime, has been named, some of you know, Shodaime Hokage, in honor of her grandfather, the Shodaime Hokage of Konohagakure. As well, her old team-mate, Jiraiya, is with us as well. They alone are worth small armies. Their apprentices, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Katō Shizune, are powerful in their own right. And fourth... if all else fails, we have among us the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox... the Kyuubi. He is also more loyal than anyone else I have ever met."

There had been several sharp intakes of breath at the mention of the Tailed Beast's container. Even now there were worried murmurs, but Itachi knew his words would be enough. "To put it bluntly, any one nation cannot dare to attack Ootori at this point. While they would most certainly be able to destroy us if it was one of the Five, we have enough power... there is enough risk in doing so, that any of them would make themselves vulnerable to an attack from their supposed 'allies'. Only an alliance of two or more of the Five could hope to attack us safely, and even then doing so with impunity would be... unlikely."

Tazuna nodded again, looking around the room as well, "Very well, Itachi-sama... one more thing, then."

The shinobi nodded, turning back to the spokesman, "Whatever you require, Tazuna-san."

"I believe ya, really I do... but I want proof of Ootori's commitment. To us, to protecting us as we work for you."

Itachi nodded. He'd known, feared, hoped, it would come to this. "You want me to take your daughter as my bride."

Several people in the tent gasped, including the raven-haired woman behind Tazuna. She had no inkling her father was even thinking such a thing!

Tazuna, though, only smiled broadly, "Sharp as ever, I see. Truth be told, though, I kind of have an ulterior motive, too, you know?"

Itachi blinked. "Tazuna-san?"

The bridge-builder took a swig from his nearby jug, "Well... not to be a jerk to my precious daughter, but she's not getting any younger, you know? I'd like to see more squirts runnin' around, ones to call me grandpa, you know? Inari's getting' a bit big to bounce on my knee!"

Most of the tent, filled as it was with older refugees, burst into understanding laughter, while Tsunami and Itachi, both suddenly afflicted with images of what making grandchildren would entail, blushed and looked anywhere but at each other.

(O)(O)(O)

Jiraiya knocked on Tsunade's apartment door at precisely six in the evening. Her voice, (almost) inexplicably hesitant, called, "Come in and have a seat! I'll be just a minute!"

The white-haired man smoothed his navy-blue silken kimono in an attempt to soothe his nerves, and turned the handle. It wasn't locked.

For a moment as he stepped inside, the Toad Mountain Sage feared a trap, an ambush, or some other catastrophe that would indicate that Tsunade, princess of the Senju Clan, had come to her senses again.

After all... only an insane Slug Sannin would willingly go out on a date with Jiraiya, right?

But before said shinobi had convinced himself that no such attack would be forthcoming, before he'd so much as taken a step toward the couch, a vision of loveliness stepped into the small sitting area from the short hallway which led to her bedroom.

"Hey, there, you old toad," Tsunade said, her voice surprisingly mellow.

Jiraiya felt his face heating up, and not for any particularly perverse thoughts, either. She was just _that_ good looking, all done up.

The Hokage wore a simple white kimono, with red reeds and what looked like the wings of a black heron taking flight on her back could be seen around her arms and shoulders. The obi she wore with it was the traditional width and a deep crimson, though the front side was half-covered due to the depth of Tsunade's bosom, which was surprisingly well-covered considering the outfit choice. While Jiraiya could make out- if he looked, which he did- the entire length of his life-long love's cleavage, but almost nothing beyond it to either side until the neck flared out near the top. Like him, she wore the traditional wooden geta sandles, and her hair was done up in an intricate curling design, held up by six onyx-colored hair-pins.

"Hime..." he exhaled, unable to find suitable enough words.

Tsunade smiled, "Wow, you only spent three seconds eyeing my cleavage before you were able to tear yourself away. That's a new record, and I even went out of my way to show it off for you!"

He didn't respond, caught up as he was staring at her chocolate eyes, which actually bore a small trace of make-up for once.

"Come on, old man, don't keep a lady waiting. This is your one and only chance to go out with me while I'm actually approaching your age physically. After this, providing nothing goes wrong, you'll be dating a girl a quarter your age again."

When even that didn't break him out of his stupor, Tsunade had to resort to desperate measures. She sauntered over to him and carefully put a hand on each side of his shoulders, before leaning up on her toes and pressing her lips to his for a moment.  
Jiraiya jerked, as if while he knew what was happening, his brain refused to even contemplate the possibility of that great event happening. She'd kissed _him_. _Willingly_, even!

"Come on, come on, we're going to be late. Oh... you look pretty nice yourself. Glad you still clean up all right."

"Lady Tsunade! How nice to see you out on the town! And with- with... _Lord Jiraiya_?"

Tsunade cringed, but it was more due to the boisterous laughter her date let loose at the thought. "Ha ha, why _yes_, Uchiha-san!" Jiraiya said, "But as you can see, we're kind of out on a _date_, so if you'll excuse us, no time for Village business... sorry, some other time!"

Tsunade was a bit impressed, village leader or not, she would not have had the gall to brush off a Clan Head and Village Elder so easily. Admittedly, though, they were indeed on a date... and as boorish as Jiraiya could be, he'd been a perfect gentleman for the last four hours.

"I'm a bit surprised, Jiraiya," she said, patting his arm, which was entwined around her own, "I'm impressed. You haven't ogled another woman once, have kept your eyes roving me to a minimum even when I'm deliberately toying with you, have kept up mostly-intelligent conversation for several hours... I really didn't think you had it in you."

To his credit again, Jiraiya didn't boast in his normal fashion. "'Hime, I've been dreaming of this night since I was eleven. Why would I screw it up by being an ass?"

She shrugged, and decided it was all right to let her head rest on his shoulder. She wasn't used to having this much fun. It'd been... wow, nearly twenty years. More. She had a right to be tired. It didn't mean she was getting old, right? "Just not used to it, I guess. You have to admit, your modus operandi is... well, not the kind of guy I appreciate."

"Heh, just goes to show, 'Hime, you don't know me as well as you think you do. All that stuff's things I do to distract myself from you. Well... not _all_ of it. I _am_ a super-pervert, and I won't lie about that. But really, I only started perving 'cause I realized I could never have the one I really wanted, so I decided to get as much of the second-bests as I could. And now, since hell's frozen over..."

Tsunade smiled, "There was a compliment in there somewhere, wasn't there? And since you were making a dig at yourself, it gets double points in my book. All right... keep this up 'till you drop me at my doorstep, and it won't be the last one. You've earned that much."

Jiraiya smiled, "Now, if you'd only come to your senses- or lost them completely, whichever- when we were just kids, you could've been having this much fun for ages!"

"I take it back."

"But- but 'Hime!"

Uchiha Fugaku smiled into his tea from the shop up the street. Things were working out just as he'd expected, and everything was going according to plan.

**A/N2:** Did you like that little bit of Jiraiya x Tsunade? I know I did. Honestly, I planned to cover the whole date in this chapter, but since I ended up baby-sitting my nephews (and then got lazy), I didn't have the focus to do it. They're loud, you see. Lol

Anyway, this should be the last transition chaper for a while, and as you can tell by the title, was actually the _only _one I had planned from the start. There shouldn't be too many more, since Iwa and then a bit at home (action-wise, and by 'bit' I mean a lot) will wind up the story. At least, if all goes according to plan. It's gonna be fast and furious from here on out.

Oh, and that bit from Fugaku? I don't think any of you will get what his goal is... but many of you will probably be close. :)

**Glossary:**

**Ishigakure:** Village Hidden in the Stones. It's not Iwa, or Tsuchi, or anything like that- stones as in pebbles. Due to the high winds and higher mountains to the north, this small country (west of Ame, I believe) gets rained on by rocks fairly frequently; they get blown off the mountains, and they're steep enough and the winds high enough that it takes a while for them to fall. Yes, that means they're mostly lethal when they do hit someone... or something. Stranger things have happened in reality, so in a world where people throw around fireballs and stomp on the ground to make earthquakes, I'm gonna let the geographical craziness slide. The Village itself is not the village they're passing by/through, nor will it have any other relevance. Even Ootori at it's founding. Heck, Tsunade+Jiraiya, or maybe even _one_ of them, could have flattened it, so it has no bearing on the story at all.

**[Edit:]** I've decided it has a point after all. See the current/next chapter, depending on where you see this entry.

**Kimono**: Do I really need to clarify this? It's the fancy dress you see. Not to be confused with a yukata, which looks similar, the kimono is actually a multi-layer garment (which often includes a yukata, which acts as the over-piece). In Japan in the modern day, they make common(ish) formal wear, rather like a Tux/Dress combo here in the States. In feudal Japan, they were more common for the Samurai caste (nobility), but a commoner would be lucky to own one or two per family. They're made from silk, and rather high-quality for a downtrodden peasant, you see. Still- Japanese formal wear. You know what it is, even if you don't know it by name.

**Obi:** The belt of the Kimono. For a man, it's typically about six inches wide and worn around the waist. For a woman, they're much wider, and often stretch from the waist to just below (or even slightly onto) her bust, sometimes 12-18 inches wide. Tsunade's is just... well, it's normal, but she covers up a lot.

They frequently serve as pockets, since they're tight enough to be difficult to steal from without detection, and have numerous folds to carry things in.

**Geta:** … Jiraiya's sandles are geta. You see them in lots of old Japanese plays, and so on. The wooden stilt-sandals. I don't think I need to say more. :)


	33. Chapter 33: Kage of the Kitsune

**A/N:** Firstly, sorry about the (smallish) delay. I've been side-tracked by a Fallout project (_Fallout: Son of the Old World_, if anyone's interested) which will be around OH's length when it's complete. If you want more details, see the bottom A/N, I'll go into it more there.  
Still, even though I've just hammered it together in the last couple hours, I'm quite happy with this chapter. It did exactly what I'd set out to do, and better than I had originally planned, so I think you guys (and gals) will enjoy it too. :)

And of course, thank my beta, Mouserr, for his quick (and accurate!) work. :)

**Chap. 33 Kage of the Kitsune**

They were taken completely by surprise.

Even though all were (now) veteran ninja, none of the four thought they would be- could be- attacked during the cacophonous downpour of rain and stone.  
However, the trio of shuriken that somehow pierced through the screen of falling rocks to thunk into Ino's left arm midway up the top half, her thigh just above the knee, and remaining one, which slipped between her ribs and pelvis, penetrating deep into her abdomen, gave correction to that impression.

The blonde took one surprised look- Naruto had time to register that her face showed only an inkling of pain- before she passed out, slumped against him, with a faint, "Oh!" on her lips.

Training was suddenly forgotten.

All Naruto could see was the bright crimson pulsing from Ino's stomach, the fear in Sakura's eyes, the sudden apprehension in Temari's...

All he could hear was the laughter in his ears, echoing through his mind, mocking him for his weakness.

His stupidity.

His failure to protect one of the girls he loved.

A second trio of shuriken blasted out of the darkness.

Temari was able to send them careening back into the storm with an abrupt wave of her fan, but she hadn't yet recovered from the jutsu when another set came from a different direction.

All three hit Naruto himself, but he didn't seem to notice, even though two were only an inch apart, buried laterally into his right shoulder, and the third had dug into his right thigh before falling out and clattering to the rough-hewn ground of the little hollow.

"Naruto!" he heard Sakura's voice, demanding, commanding him to move, to protect her while she saved Ino's life.

But he couldn't move, because Naruto wasn't in command of his body any more.

In a moment of weakness, weakness brought on by his own fear and worry for Ino, Naruto had let himself relax, let his guard down, and the Fox had partially escaped it's bonds.

It was not fully free, could not be as long as Naruto lived, he knew, but it was closer now to escaping than it had ever been before, and the blonde shinobi dreaded to think what would happen should the creature gain even the smallest amount of control over himself.

So while Naruto was partially paralyzed by indecision, anxiety, and fear, most of his inactivity was due to the fact that his mind was fully occupied in defending itself from the usurper attempting to take it over.

Meanwhile, of course, the three kunoichi were beset.

Temari was waving her fan back and forth as rapidly as she could swing it, sending wave after wave of wind chakra blasting away from them, but with every gust of wind, every shuriken or kunai or paper-bomb she deflected, the woman could feel her chakra dwindle just a little more. Her training, while considerable and harsh, had never pushed her so far, and it had only been a few minutes.

To her left and back, Sakura was nearly in tears, pleading with Ino not to die, not to let the little wound like that stop her, reassuring her that the poison was paralytic, and not strong enough to kill her unless she _wanted_ to die.  
It didn't escape her notice that the medic, even while her hands glowed brilliant emerald, was begging the other blonde girl not to leave _us._

_But I already knew that ship had sailed, so I should just stop worrying about it. Focus on the now, on the situation in front of you._

… _damn, we're so dead if blondie over there doesn't start moving!_  
"Naruto! Get your ass in gear and help me!" Temari cried.  
He didn't move, didn't even twitch, even though she could see a kunai now stuck in his lower arm, a few inches down from the shuriken pair, and several smaller cuts where he'd been winged, or been hit by the cutting winds she was using to shield them. She was good, but she was not perfect, and the razor-edged blades she summoned were hardly precise. Kankuro was the precise one, she focused on wide, area attacks and defense, not point-defense.

_No excuses, Sabaku no Temari! Pull yourself up by your sandal-straps, damn it! Fight!_

She still didn't even know how many assailants there were- at least two- when the worst happened.

Her growing fatigue led to Temari mistiming a _kamaitachi_.

As a result, a single kunai slipped past her, landing with a wet _thwick_ in Sakura's left thigh.

A quick glance showed the Suna kunoichi that the medic would probably live, it'd missed her femoral artery, but it made the rosette shriek in pain and lose the concentration required to continue healing Ino's more dangerous injury.

But Sakura's momentary distraction had a secondary effect, which prevented their attackers from capitalizing on it.

No sooner had she screamed than Naruto began to move.  
But Temari no longer recognized his face.

The happy, cheerful, if driven boy she'd known as a child, or the serious, driven young man he'd been when he'd stormed into Sunagakure was one thing...

But the beast looking past her now was something entirely different.

"N-Naruto?"

Blood-red eyes, eyes that reminded her of the fabled Sharingan, flickered from the darkness over to her for a moment, then back into the shadows.

Combat-honed senses brought crystal clarity to Temari, so she was able to remember, even towards the end of her long life, the next few moments perfectly... and the next hours with perfect horror.

Naruto's 'cute whiskers' (as she'd overheard Ino calling them in a discussion with Sakura earlier that day, when their love interest had split from the trio of kunoichi to 'take a leak') were suddenly bleeding, oozing slashes. The slightly-larger eye-teeth were now the length of one of her knuckles.  
But his eyes were the worst.  
Not just red, they were... _changed_. Slit-pupiled she'd seen before. The old ninja in Suna who could summon desert snakes had those.

Animalistic features were, while not common, not unknown to ninja, either.

So the narrowed, slitted eyes were not the bad thing... it was what was behind them.

Caring, loving, silly, too-smart-yet-too-oblivious-for-his-own-good Naruto was just not there.

What _was _there terrified Temari to the core, because she had seen eyes like that before...

Only these eyes? They were a hundred, a thousand times worse than Gaara's had been.

No insanity lurked there.

In fact, the only thing she realized was similar was the need, the intent, to destroy, to _kill_.  
But while Shukaku, the sand-spirit which possessed her brother, killed for the simple pleasure of it, this monster... he killed _everything_, but with _purpose_, as if it was it's mission to annihilate all life.  
No insanity there... just hatred, desire, and pure, dark power.

She also dimly noted, as if it were of no consequence next to the terror filling her being, the shuriken and kunai falling from the holes in Naruto's body as they healed before her eyes, far faster than even Sakura's talented medical jutsu could heal.

"I... no... Saku... ra... Don't... d... _Die!_"

Temari, to her shame, wet herself at once, nearly passed out as the beast which had once been Naruto roared the last.  
There had been just a hint of Naruto in the shadowed, sibilant voice when their names were called. Even on the 'don't'. But the last word... that, Temari knew, was all the Kyuubi.

Fortunately for her, just before the oppressive, black-red energy that now cloaked Naruto's form brought Temari to her knees under it's weight, he flew past her into the shadows and night, heedless of the still-falling stones.

(O)(O)(O)

It took nearly ten minutes for the screaming to stop, and Temari couldn't bring herself to move, couldn't even stop shaking like a field mouse who knows it's been spotted by a hunting raptor, until it was over.

When she was able to sit up again, she found Sakura grimly upright, a bandage wrapped tightly around her leg and the handle of the kunai, which was still imbedded in it, as she continued healing Ino.

"Good, you're up," the medic said firmly, "I need water. I don't care if it's got rocks in it right now, just stick a bucket or whatever out there. Even your canteen if you've got any left."

Temari nodded, glad that the younger girl was able to maintain focus, was able to function, and more so, was able to tell her what the hell she should be doing, because...

After that?  
Temari just didn't know any more.

After she'd dug Ino's own canteen out of her supply pouch- her own had been ripped apart by a kunai- and offered it to Sakura, Temari stood in the little hollow, watching, and waiting.

For what, she wasn't quite sure.

All she really knew was that Naruto had not come back...

And she wasn't sure what she'd do if he did.

(O)(O)(O)

"Squad Five, reinforce Squad Two! Squad Six, on Squad One! Hur-"

Their commander, an elite Jonin who had survived three wars between the larger nations surrounding them, was cut off by the bloody bubble that welled up in his throat.

The two squads, the last to arrive at the muster point for Village Defense, were the only witnesses to the leader of Ishigakure's death.  
Were the only ones who saw the single being who had annihilated every defender in his path, everyone wearing an Ishi headband.  
Every man, woman, and child he saw inside the small Hidden Village itself.

But he hadn't stopped there.

Furoda, the leader of Squad Two and the only Jonin among the two teams, paled. Once, he'd heard stories from the old ninja who had gone to drink about things like this.

Beasts who were once men, but more so than any shape-shifting or animal-natured jutsu could duplicate.  
Whatever was inside the mass of black-and-red chakra, which roiled like flames though nothing burned was vaguely human in shape, but yet, it was not.

In a blur so fast that even his stolen Hyuuga eyes (which had allowed him to reach Jonin rank, since it had been he who had defeated the Main-Branch Hyuuga in battle and brought the body back to the Village in time for them to transplant) could barely track it, Furoda saw the physical body leave behind it's own shroud of chakra, because it was moving too fast for the cloak to follow.

For a brief moment before it caught up, the Jonin saw black skin, white bone with a vaguely canine shape like armor, and eyes of deepest blue.  
For that same moment, the eyes almost seemed... human.

Sad, even, at what was happening.

But then the blue became red, and Squad Two died in a flurry of chakra so potent it acted like acid, claws, and blood.

Furoda's two Chunin and one Genin teammate were motionless, horrified and paralyzed by that fear.

He himself could smell urine and feces, knew it was his own... some of it, anyway.

"Squad four was out on patrol... they reported intruders... they... must have attacked. Attacked the wrong team..." Furoda's voice trailed off. It wouldn't do any good to explain the situation now. He and his team were already dead.

One did not anger the most terrifying beast in existence and live.  
That's just not the way their world worked.

"S- Sir!" Kika, his Chunin kunoichi, and the bravest (and stupidest, though luckier than anyone had a right to be) spoke up nervously, "W-what is that thing? What do we do?"

Furoda somehow found the strength to shake his head back and forth once, but his own voice was less steady than hers, "We can't do anything but die. The Nine-Tailed Fox will kill us all."

Before they could scream in terror, or deny that's what they were facing, the mass of chakra began to split at the rear, revealing six tails.

And then another...

And then Squad Two, the last surviving ninja of the Village Hidden in the Stones, died in a spray of red, their bodies joining those of their comrades as broken masses on the ground for the flies to clean up.

(O)(O)(O)

Temari woke up in pain, but it took her a moment to remember why.

The comfortable pillow was not the soft cylinder she kept with her futon at home.

It was Ino's thigh, the uninjured one, which she must have fallen onto after she was already asleep.

_But I should have been standing guard! Damn it, Temari! What if something else had happened, huh? You'd all be dead!_

But Sakura's low humming filtered past the sound of leaves in the light breeze, signifying that all was well... more or less.

"Get up, Temari-san," Sakura whispered, "I need to move Ino a bit, and I'll need your help, not you laying on her."

As the Suna ninja obeyed, Ino's voice came to them quietly, through an obvious haze of pain, "She's not really my type, but cute enough... you can stay if you want, Temari-chan."

Sabaku no Temari, daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, blushed bright red, but Sakura only laughed.  
"No flirting, Ino, not until the poison's run it's course completely. How're you feeling?"

Ino shrugged, which seemed to take far too much effort, judging by her expression, "Numb."

Sakura knelt next to her and slid a hand under her shoulder, gesturing with her eyes for Temari to do the same.

As the two lifted her into a sitting position against the curved wall of the hollow, Ino couldn't help but whisper, "Watch those hands, Miss Gropes-a-lot."

Temari's hands jerked back so suddenly she dropped Ino's head against the rock with a loud thunk, making her wince and apologize.

Ino only smiled, "Didn't feel it... that numb, Sakura."

The medic's eyes rolled, "Don't take it personally, Temari-san, it's the antidote I gave her a few hours ago, it makes me loopy too. It's not the best for a paralytic, but it'll help her fight it off. She'll be okay to move on her own in about an hour... sorry, Ino, but you're going to be in a lot of pain until then as your nerves kick back in. Let me know when it fades to a dull ache, and you'll be okay to move, all right?"

Ino nodded, her lips tight. Obviously, the pain was starting.

With a gentle hand on Ino's shoulder and a peck on her cheek, Sakura stood and gestured Temari out into the woods.

After they'd walked for about a minute, Sakura looked back at the hollow, where Ino's blood-stained purple shirt was visible between two trees, as if to reassure herself the other girl was still there, "No sign of Naruto, but I've smelled smoke since the storm ended. I've got a bad feeling about it."

Temari nodded, "Is that what that smell is? I've never smelled burning wood; there's not enough of it in Suna for a fire."  
Sakura nodded as well, turning her eyes down into the valley, "It's coming from the direction of the village. Can you... can you go check it out? I would, but I can't leave Ino. I'm not trying to order you around or anything, but..."

Temari nodded. She'd noticed the rosette's lower lip trembling as she spoke.

_Kid's barely holding it together... damn it. I'm still a kid too when it comes to stuff like this, but at least I've got a few more years under my belt. Fuck this world, making kids like us do this shit._  
"C'mere," Temari whispered, before pulling Sakura into a tight hug.

At first, the medic was stiff and resistant, but within a few seconds, she had melted into the taller woman's arms, and was sobbing against her breastplate and tunic.

"Come on, Sakura-san," Temari whispered as soothingly as she could, "don't stress too much. Naruto walked into _Suna_ like he could flatten the place, I'm sure... I'm sure Ishi won't give him too much trouble. It can't _all_ be bravado, right?"

Sakura chuckled and sniffed a few seconds later, shaking her head against Temari's chest, "It's... not that I'm worried about his safety. It's... I didn't pass out completely. I heard... and I felt... what he... er... turned into."

Temari whispered, more to herself than to Sakura, almost as if she were terrified to even think it, "The Kyuubi."

Sakura nodded against her again, before pulling away, wiping her eyes. "S- Sorry about that... I guess I'm not as tough as I act, huh?"  
Temari, already embarrassed herself to have been caught helping out a girl with 'girl problems' (as her father would call _any_ sort of crying- especially if it was Kankuro doing it), took a few quick steps back, "Nah, we all need to let it go sometimes. Part of being a ninja, if you don't let it go you just build up 'till you break, right? At least, that's what my great-aunt Chiyo-baa-sama always said. Even if my dad disagrees, I like her way better."  
Sakura smiled wanly, "Anyway... can you go check on him? Don't... don't get too close if he's still... um... well, foxy. Just come get me, okay? It... it takes a certain kind of touch to calm him down."

Temari's eyebrows waggled, making Sakura blush and stammer, "N- Not _that_ kind of t-touch! I m-meant... just... well, he knows me and I-Ino, and... and..."  
Temari laughed out loud, relieved that she could even joke, much less make the younger girl flush so brightly crimson with a simple gesture after the terror of last night. "Yeah, yeah... I'll go look for your boyfriend. And hey... if you hear screaming? It's probably me picking off stragglers."

Sakura, despite being a medic who prized life, was also not a fan of unprovoked attacks. She nodded solemnly, "Do what you need to. Just focus on making sure Naruto's okay, will you?"

(O)(O)(O)

Temari was not prepared.

Not even close.

She had known, intellectually, that there were ninja out there with the ability to level towns.  
She was even one of them, if she were pressed and used her chakra wisely... and there was little to no defense to make her use chakra differently.

But _this_?

It was on a whole new level.

Ishigakure was not exactly a smoking crater.

After all, a crater implies there's a depression in the earth, with a raised ring (pushed up by pressure in the center) around it. Bury your finger in soft sand, throw a pebble (gently, so you don't make a mess) into a cup of flour, and you will see that's true.

But Ishi was not- or at least wasn't now- a smoking crater, but that's still the closest analog Temari could find for it.

There had been a collection of a few hundred houses and homes, a couple dozen service or merchant buildings, and the ninja barracks/training hall, which had been the building Temari and her family had stayed in on her one trip to the place for 'diplomatic reasons' a few years earlier, when she was a newly-minted Genin, alongside Kankuro.

Now, the tallest building stood not at four stories (a lone watchtower in the center of the town), but at about three feet, just over hip high to the rather tall blonde woman.

There were no longer about six hundred civilians, or the thirty or so ninja that protected them walking the streets.

In fact, judging by the number of charred, mutilated, or otherwise destroyed corpses- and parts of corpses- littering the streets and ruined buildings, no one had survived at all.

As Temari walked down the main north-south road, part of her was counting.

Counting even though she was filled with horror.  
She just couldn't seem to help herself.

_Eighteen buildings, sixty-two bodies._

_Nineteen buildings, sixty-seven bodies. Maybe sixty-eight._

_Twenty buildings, eighty-five bodies. He found a lot gathered together... must have been defenders._

At that spot, Temari paused for a moment. It was at a large crossroads, probably one of the largest in the Village, though it wasn't in the center. Most of the corpses were largely intact, though the biggest bunch were all killed uniformly, beheaded by something.

An object that was not sharp, but moving so quickly it made little difference, if the spray-line of grey-and-red paste around the nearby buildings was any indication.  
Twenty or so people, killed by a single, sweeping attack, likely by a person who had dropped from the air into the middle of them.

At least, the bodies had fallen in a spiraling pattern like that, from the inside out.

Temari suddenly ran to the nearest building wall and began to vomit up the remains of last night's cold dinner.

_Sometimes being trained to analyze even the worst aspects of humanity with a clinical mind is a real bitch,_ she thought, while cleaning up the remnants from her mouth and spitting several times.

But even as she started walking again, eyes roving for any sign of Naruto, she couldn't make herself stop counting.

_Twenty-five buildings, a hundred and seventy-six bodies..._

(O)(O)(O)

"Sakura!"

Temari's voice echoed up through the trees just as the medic had gotten Ino to her feet, with three backpacks strapped together on her own shoulders; Ino's, Naruto's, and her own. "Still here, Temari! Any news?"

The taller kunoichi took just a few seconds to catch her breath; the uphill run had been more tiring than she'd expected, "Yeah... I f-found Naruto. He's... he's got an orange cloak, almost like when he was... fighting Gaara. Two tails."

Sakura actually breathed a sigh of relief right alongside Ino.

Temari gaped, "Two tails? You know, _Fox_ tails? In that Fox-Chakra cloak?"

Ino hissed through what was obviously still some pain, "We know... but two is better than four, and... and we've both gotten him down from two before. He'll be okay... and if he has... two tails... then he's still..."

Temari nodded then, understanding why they were relieved, "Alive."  
Sakura nodded after, still grimly, "Come on, help me with Ino. Let's hurry... any survivors?"

The Suna kunoichi froze for a moment, then nodded. "I... I killed a few. For... mercy. Twenty-six, actually."

Sakura and Ino both shuddered, but said nothing.

Temari wasn't done with her report, though. "I... I got tired of it after a while. There's... there's a few more that will probably be dead when we get to Naruto. And... and I couldn't kill two of them. They were just kids."

The last was said almost defensively, as if to convince herself she'd done the right thing.

Not murdered children just because she was a ninja.  
As Ino threw a weak arm around Temari's neck so she could support her other side, the shorter blonde whispered, "G- good...I'll do a mind jutsu on them to erase the memory of... of last night. It should help them."

Temari agreed, "No one should have to remember... well... you'll see. Can you help Naruto that way, too?"

Ino shook her head and whispered, "I don't know."

**A/N2:** Did you enjoy the little bit of Temari's point of view? It will (probably) happen once or twice again in the Iwa arc, and at least a scene or two involving her later in the story, but for now that's it; we'll be returning to the regularly-scheduled PoV's for the foreseeable future (except a bit in Iwa and later, as I said), though Itachi, Sasuke, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hiashi, Neji, and (gasp!) Fugaku are all coming up for at least a scene in the next couple chapters as I break the tension of Iwa with Ootori business.

… yes, that means we'll be seeing some cousin-bonding, some plotting, and even a rushed wedding in the next couple chapters.  
Something to look forward to, right? :)

Uh... I'll add an A/N3 for the Fallout stuff below.

Lastly... yes, that was _seven_ tails. And yes... it's going to get worse before it gets better. (For those who noted no appreciable difference in 'form' between six and seven- have patience. Furoda only got a glimpse, and even that was miniscule... more coming.)

Lastly (for this AN), I am committing myself to one update per week, usually on Sunday. That _is not_ saying I'll be updating _this_ story every week, just _a_ story (I'm updating 3 'regularly' counting this one, and one 'irregularly'- read: rarely), but since this is popular and I like writing it, it'll probably be getting the bulk of the updates until it's finished. Good news for you.

**Glossary:** Not much to add... Furoda and Kika are both throwaway characters, they only have names to make them a bit more human.

**Ishigakure:** Village Hidden in the Stones. It's not Iwa, or Tsuchi, or anything like that- stones as in pebbles. Due to the high winds and higher mountains to the north, this small country (west of Ame, I believe) gets rained on by rocks fairly frequently; they get blown off the mountains, and they're steep enough and the winds high enough that it takes a while for them to fall. Yes, that means they're mostly lethal when they do hit someone... or something. Stranger things have happened in reality, so in a world where people throw around fireballs and stomp on the ground to make earthquakes, I'm gonna let the geographical craziness slide. The Village itself is not the village they're passing by/through, nor will it have any other relevance. Even Ootori at it's founding. Heck, Tsunade+Jiraiya, or maybe even _one_ of them, could have flattened it, so it has no bearing on the story at all. **[Edit2:]** Entry repeated for it's focus in this chapter. New information: "Village is gone. 65 survivors, no ninja."  
… and yes, that will (probably) be important later... but I won't say how. :)

**A/N3:** (**SPOILER ALERT! BIG ONE!) **Okay, so... _Fallout: Son of the Old World_ is, of course, a Fallout fic. It's set ten years (9.5, give or take a month) after the events of Fallout 3. The Lone Wanderer from one of my playthroughs (name to be revealed later, though it's female, and a 'Charisma' game) sacrificed herself for Project Purity, so Sarah L. is alive (her father is dead- age), and the Enclave, after the crushing defeats of Raven Rock and at the Jefferson Memorial itself, is all-but gone from the Wasteland. In their place, the Brotherhood- now having re-absorbed the Outcasts- have adopted the Lyons Doctrine (meaning they're all on the side of actually helping people) and are in the process of building two other Purifiers around the Wastes.  
Quality of life under the (much expanded) Brotherhood and with clean water has nearly doubled... leading to a much safer Wasteland overall. However, not all is as safe as it could be...

And for a boy of (mentally and emotionally) fourteen in the body of a man, who went to sleep one day in the comfort of the year 2077 and woke up in the harsh reality of 2277+... well... things aren't going to be easy.

The (OC) main character of the story is Duncan Maddox, though there will be several other characters who's PoV I'll be using regularly. As well, there are (already) cameos or other appearances from some of FO3's favorites- MacReady, Eclair, and Princess from Little Lamplight, Evan King from Arefu, and a certain former-Outcast member of the Brotherhood (who is not yet named), even Lucky Harith the weapon merchant have all made appearances.

Anyway, if you're tired of your typical "Walkthrough" type Fallout fic, or want to see what a practical but uneducated (about the Wastes) person would do if thrust into that world... give it a read. You can find it by a search for the title or from my Profile, link above. :)

And as always... review please!


	34. Chapter 34: Dead Silent

**A/N:** First, apologies if this chapter isn't up to my usual standards. I don't think it's terrible or anything I just... for some odd reason, I couldn't get it to come out easily, and when I force it, sometimes it just doesn't flow right. However, like I said, I don't think it's bad so don't stress over it. As always, thanks to my beta (Mouse), though he hasn't checked this yet- he's had odd network fluctuations, so he might not be able to send it back (he has it) before I post this. However, if he doesn't, I'll replace and update when he does. :)  
Enjoy!

**Chap. 34 Dead Silent**

At the bottom of a gorge, was a dry riverbed.

In this gorge was a very large stone, which bore a pristine paper seal.

Behind that seal was a cavern, far too large and even to be carved by natural causes.

Spread in a semi-circle around the center of the cavern, both vertically and horizontally, were several shadowy figures, the only colors of which visible were their eyes.

Against one wall, a statue several dozen feet tall, the only distinguishable features of which were nine great eyes, four closed and the other five apparently alive, as they roved around the cavern aimlessly.

The figures in the center of the room were each standing on what, at first glance, appeared to be an unevenly carved stone pillar.

Upon closer inspection, one might find that they were actually part of the statue, it's fingers, to be exact, which were stretched upwards from open hands resting near the cavern floor.

A tall figure wearing a wide jingasa-style hat in red was one of only three actually present. The other figures, the shadowy ones, were there only mentally, projections created by jutsu. The tall man frowned, as did both of the others there, a similarly tall man with long blonde hair half-covering his face, and a man who would appear entirely average (for a shinobi), if his eyes weren't primarily green, with crimson irises.

Each of these latter had an unconscious human held by the collar in one hand.

The hat-wearing ninja frowned further at seeing them, but nodded with a satisfied air all the same. He'd just opened his mouth to speak when another figure shimmered into view atop the colossal statue itself. All eyes moved to the newcomer's swirling visage as it began to speak, "Is Sasori not coming then, Deidara?"

The tall blonde shook his head, scowling, "No, Pein-sama. During my escape from Sunagakure, I saw the remains of a battle. Sasori-sempai is dead."

Despite their obvious discipline, several of the shadowy figures burst into whispers for a moment, before the new arrival nodded, "It's certainly a blow,but Sasori was hardly the strongest of us. We will persevere. We need only keep our eyes open for a replacement to fill the void, and I think I have someone in mind already. In a more immediate way, however, we need to focus on the results of the mission to Sunagakure. Have you succeeded, Deidara, where Sasori failed?"

"Hn," the blonde man said while nodding, "This is the One-Tails."

Several of the shadows seemed both surprised and impressed that the younger artist was able to capture a Tailed Beast alive, even if it was the weakest one.

The figure atop the statue nodded, "Well done. And I see Hidan and Kakuzu have brought us a bonus as well. The Two-Tails came to you, then?"

The green-and-red-eyed man nodded, eyes never leaving the apparent leader as he lifted the blonde woman up by the collar to display her. Even unconscious she whimpered in pain at the jarring motion. "Hidan was unable to make it physically, since he's reconstituting a false body at the moment. Apparently taking longer to extract the first to Bijuu was worth me not sewing him together."

Despite that Hidan had delivered the statement in a matter-of-fact tone, the shadowy figure next to him frowned and glared.

"Very well," the leader said, "We'll begin extracting the One-Tail at once, and if pursuit from Suna is still far enough off, then we will begin with the Two. If, that is, they dare to cross into Tsuchi no Kuni at all."  
Without delay, Deidara tossed the red-haired young man he was holding down to the ground between the main statue and it's hands, atop which they all stood.

Gaara hit the ground with a crash, accompanied by two sharp cracks, likely from his left arm and right leg, each of which now rested at odd angles.

However, none of the group showed his pain any particular concern. Han, the red-armored man who was physically present, actually smiled slightly.  
"Begin," their leader instructed, and chakra began to visibly swell from each of them, even those not actually present.

At once, Gaara woke, only to scream in agony.

(O)(O)(O)

The council of Ootorigakure's Elders sat in silence for several seconds after the young princess' question. Each spent the time either musing silently to themselves, or trying to catch a glimpse of each other's eyes, hoping they might know how to react.

Tsunade sighed. The question had been simple enough, "How had everyone known to start coming back?"  
Answering, though, was another matter entirely. She and Jiraiya, as well as those they'd trained and raised, had never actually left. Fuguku's two sons, he now knew, hadn't either. But almost every survivor of 'that night' had fled sooner or later. If not from the Kyuubi itself, then from the multitude of armies, great and small, that wanted a piece of Hi no Kuni's pie.

After another pained sigh, Tsunade began to speak, "This is classified information, Yoshiyuki-dono."  
The woman nodded calmly, having expected no less. If it had been common knowledge, Fuudo, Asuma, or one of the other Guardians- all but one of whom was native to Konoha- would have heard it.

"There was a prophecy," the medic Hokage began, "indicating the time of Konoha's revival. It was a true prophecy, and the time is rapidly approaching, if we're reading the signs right."

The woman nodded, "You speak of the prophecy of Jiraiya's apprentice. I hadn't been aware that Konoha's destruction and rebirth were part of that, but it makes sense. Prophecy is, after all, vague."

Jiraiya, frowning, shook his head. "No, Tenna-san, I'm afraid Tsunade is _not_ referring to that prophecy. That one... has not yet started to become fulfilled. At least, I don't think it has. I have, however, taken my last apprentice, so it won't be much longer I think. No more than a generation."

The neice of the former Fire Daimyo frowned slightly, but otherwise showed no reaction, "I don't understand. How is it there are two prophecies- rare at the best of times- active right now? Or nearly active?"

Jiraiya shrugged, leaning against Tsunade's desk. Several of the other council members in the office showed obvious annoyance at his disrespect, but the medic was not one of them. "How can there be two prophecies about the same damned person at the same time?"

Fugaku's eyes widened. "So... it is not my younger son, then, as he believes?"

The white-haired Sage shook his head grimly, "I don't think so. I can see why Sasuke would have thought so, Itachi was there when the prophecy was delivered, so he would have been able to relate it to his brother. And while either Sasuke or Itachi _are_ mentioned in the stupid thing, I doubt they're the key players."

Hiashi frowned this time, "I'm sorry, Tsunade-hime, but I think it's time for us to be aware of the _full_ prophecy, exactly as you heard it. I'd also like to be made aware of the source."

"No way," Tsunade retorted, "I'm not just telling everyone-"

Inoichi cut her off, "All due respect, Hokage-sama," he said sternly, "but we came back because of that prophecy. We put our faith in you and yours that it was real. Every day, we risk our very families more and more because of it. We _do_ deserve to know why, I think. Because every day we believe in it, believe in your interpretation of it without being able to draw our own conclusions about what it could mean, is another day our enemies have to assemble to destroy us. We were relatively safe in small, scattered numbers. Now... While I don't regret being part of Ootori, if my family is going to be wiped out on my watch, I'd like to know _why_."

No one said a word. For a moment, Tsunade debating playing the 'She's not a member of the council' card with Tenna, but the fact that she was as good a representative of _real_ authority in Hi no Kuni as they were going to get outside this room... she had as good a reason as anyone to be there, especially since she was going back to their hidey-hole to relay current events to Asuma.  
"Fine," she nodded, closing her eyes and gathering her thoughts. A moment later, she began to speak.

(O)(O)(O)

Elsewhere, in the western reaches of the land formerly known as Kusagakure, the Village Hidden in the Grass, a tall man coughed. "Kabuto," he said after the fit had passed. His voice was calm, cool, almost slippery. A less jaded observer might well wonder exactly what quality about the voice made you think the speaker would as soon take you apart limb by limb as look at you. The addressee of the statement, however, _was_ jaded, and felt little at being addressed by his master. "I will need a new body, soon. Before the attack this 'Ootori'. Is there one suitable at the ready?"

The white-haired man on the opposite end of the lab frowned, thinking for a moment. Two hundred faces, along with accompanying names, combat data, experience, and special talents flickered through his mind in seconds. "No, Lord Orochimaru. Kimimaro's test came back yesterday. His tuberculosis is going to be fatal within two months. Hardly something worth using. I'm surprised he's lasted this long, honestly. As for the rest... well, only Juugo shows any promise, but since we need him for the Cursed Seals, well..."

The ninja sitting on the throne coughed again, "I see. Well, if we have to make do with a lesser candidate, that's what we'll do. Still... keep your ears open, won't you, Kabuto? My old teammate's apprentices might do... I hear they're heading toward Iwa as we speak."

The white-haired shinobi grinned, "An excellent idea. I'll send out the Sound Fi- Four at once."

Orochimaru shook his head, "No, I don't think that will do. They're going to assault an Akatsuki base, after all. They'll need more than just those four. You'll go as well, Kabuto."

If the medic was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he immediately bowed his head, "Of course. We'll leave before sunset. Do you know which base?"

Orochimaru shook his head, "Unfortunately, no... but if I know my old associates, they'll be in the Stone Forest base."

Kabuto nodded once, "All right. I'll be going then."

"Oh, and Kabuto?"  
He stopped, turning half-way back to watch his master.

"While you're gone, don't let thoughts of revenge against Konoha distract you, hmm? That day will come soon enough."

"Of course, Lord Orochimaru."

When the door clicked quietly, Orochimaru allowed himself to chuckle lightly for a few moments, before turning his own powerful mind to matters of strategy. There was a war coming. And not just any war... _the_ war. The war he'd waited his whole life for, after the disappointment of the last Great Shinobi War.

(O)(O)(O)

It took two streets for Ino to vomit. Temari distantly noted the sick had a little more red than would be normal, but not enough to really warrant additional worry. Doubtless, with a kunai in the gut, there had been some internal bleeding. It was not cause for concern, though, because a medic of Sakura's caliber would have known that, fixed all of the damage, not just part.  
Sakura, perhaps spurred on by the blonde, did the same a few steps later.

Temari understood. If she hadn't already been here, the stench would be overpowering her as well. Fortunately, she had been wise enough to skip the ration bar the younger women had eaten for breakfast.  
"Come on," she said in a low voice, "Naruto's still a ways ahead. He was just crouching in the middle of the street when I left him, but that was twenty minutes ago now. We should hurry in case he moves."

Sakura shook her head, "He won't."

Ino nodded weakly, still wiping her mouth with the back of a sleeve, "Yeah. He'll stay where we can find him... they have this... this _deal_. Once he uses the Fox's power, he goes into his mind and... and the Fox tortures him. He's probably not even aware of what's going on out here any more. But we should still hurry, 'cause he's gonna be vulnerable."

Sakura, who had one arm around Ino's waist and the other holding onto the blonde's arm to help her walk, agreed.

Temari didn't say another word, though she picked up the pace a little.

It was another quarter-mile before they found him.

Still in the middle of the pinwheel of bodies, still covered in blazing orange-red chakra. At least the black had gone, and the sheer malevolence had faded to utter hatred and disdain rather than a desire to crush every-

_No, Temari! Get a hold of yourself! That was the Fox's influence. You _know_ Naruto isn't like that._

"All right," she said softly after the other girls had turned the corner behind her, "there's your boyfriend. Do what you gotta do, I'll watch your back."

Slowly, the two moved toward him. Naruto showed no sign of recognition, which was both good and bad in Temari's eyes. He hadn't attacked either of them, that was obviously good. But it was also bad because if he was truly catatonic... he _couldn't_ recognize them, and they couldn't do whatever it was they had planned.

Temari frowned when Sakura's tentative touch made her yank her hand back, blowing on it. Even from twenty-five feet away, she could see the medic's hand was bright red, likely already blistering.

She'd felt that heat when it wasn't turned on her, after all, and knew what it could do at a distance. The Wind-user had no desire to feel it up close.

Instead, she busied herself by moving. After all, actively insuring there was no one around to attack her new friends would be much more effective than just standing guard, right?

Besides... even if mercy killings were not her favorite way to pass the time, at least they were merciful. No one should have to live with poisoned chakra eating them from the inside out, especially with a hole clear through their stomach which had been instantly cauterized by said chakra.

Not even Gaara, she mused, deserved such a fate.

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura, already weeping, caught Ino's body as it fell limply against her. "All right, Pig, you better do your thing fast. I don't trust the Fox at all, and I don't trust him to leave you alone. Get Naruto and get out."

Out of the corner of her eye, the medic watched the short-haired blonde with the fan start moving into the nearest intact building. She wasn't worried; aside from the moans of the few surviving wounded in the area, the village was deathly still.

Numbly, Sakura swept an area of the street clean of the stones that lay everywhere, and let Ino's body down as gently as possible. Before turning her attention back to Naruto, she scanned the blonde's curvaceous form with an analytical jutsu and eye one more time. _Nothing serious from the walk here, then. That's good._

… _glad there's _something_ good about all this._

_Why couldn't they just have left us alone? We didn't care about their village, we would have just passed by. Why did they attack us?_

A tall blonde, even taller than Ino, popped into her mind's eye.

Temari. Of course... Ishi must have thought that Suna hired them to attack in retaliation for breaking the alliance.  
Or something like that, anyway. After all, Temari had admitted to being to the village before. Maybe she'd been recognized. If nothing else, she was blonde and wearing a Suna hitai-ate.

"What a stupid reason for your entire village to die... picked a fight with someone who can fight back. That can wipe out your whole damned town. Men, women, children... everyone. Because we can't leave witnesses, can we?"

Wincing with pain as the wound- barely treated- in her left leg pulled uncomfortably, Sakura settled down next to Ino and Naruto, while keeping a few feet of distance from the boy.

Having confirmed that Ino was safe, with Temari scouting the area for hostiles, she finally relaxed enough to watch Naruto.  
But first...

_Wow, that burn hurts... my whole hand is numb already, and I have... wow, twenty-six blisters on my palm and fingers already? I barely even touched the cloak, and it's that bad. I should probably heal it... I don't want the chakra to spread, do I?_

Her highly-trained mind immediately devoted part of itself to moving her chakra, changing it, in an effort to block off, contain, filter, and eventually remove the tainted, hostile energy which had infected her hand with the slightest of touches.

Meanwhile, her eyes continued to roam.

Naruto's back was arched painfully upward, almost like a cat's defensive posturing. His elbows, knees, and feet were all on the ground, but his wrists and hands were a few inches up, supporting his head. Covering his face, too. She could tell, through the shadows and haze of chakra, that her love's mouth was open in a silent scream, though the only sound coming from his direction was the quiet hiss and occasional pop of the chakra itself burning the air.

_At least the smell of ozone he's putting off is helping with the stench of the dead._

He was unwounded, as far as she could tell from here, though there were several marks in his clothing that indicated he _had_ taken damage. Likely, the Demon Fox had healed the injuries in an attempt to prolong it's own life and Naruto's suffering.

The sun had set when Ino's body shifted. Sakura had caught glimpses of Temari's white-and-purple form as she ghosted from building to building in an ever-widening circle. She hadn't yet returned though.

"Sa- Sakura? Water?"

"Of course, Ino," she said, grabbing her canteen from her belt, "take mine. We still haven't filled yours."

The blonde, weakly sitting up, nodded. She only took three sips before handing it back, swishing the water around in her mouth before swallowing.  
The medic in Sakura approved, at least Ino knew how to get real benefit from even small amounts of water. "So?" she asked.

Ino shook her head, "I couldn't find him. The Fox... I could hear it laughing as soon as I went in. It's... it's not crazy, but it's insane. Does that make sense?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, but that doesn't matter. What do you mean you couldn't find Naruto?"

Ino shrugged, "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like that, except... well, my Dad mentioned doing a Mind-Walk once... when we go in, the target is supposed to be sedated, unconscious, sleeping, or at least partially in that state. If they aren't... the subconscious representations aren't there. Or at least, not in a way we can recognize. I..."

"Come on, Ino," Sakura groused, "get to the point. Where's Naruto?"

Ino glared up at her friend-or-lover for a moment before casting worried eyes over at their(?) boyfriend. "That's what I'm saying... I don't know. I don't think he's unconscious, though. I think he's awake... and that's how the Fox is torturing him. Making him remember all... well, _this_," the blonde gestured idly to the town around them, "while awake."  
Sakura shuddered. "So... so he can hear us? He's awake, so he can hear us, right?"

Ino shrugged again, "I don't know. He's _conscious_, but that doesn't mean he's... here. He might be having a flashback, or... or something."

Sakura sighed, relaxing back to the street. "So there's nothing we can do, then? At least until he comes out of it?"

Ino shrugged, but before she could respond, Temari appeared in a swirl of sand. "Those two kids, Yamanaka-san. One of them... he's dead. The other one apparently killed him by... I don't know. I want to say it's an accident, but the look in the girl's eyes... I think she's already gone mad. I tied her up, in the big building over there, second floor."

Ino nodded, glancing that way to check the building, but otherwise keeping her eyes on Naruto. "I'll see what I can do when I have more energy. I can't do another mind-walk now, and taking out memories requires me to do that at the least."

Temari shrugged, settling down on Sakura's other side, though the rosette noticed the darker-haired blonde was still a couple of feet further away from the motionless Naruto than either of the Ootori kunoichi.

"All right," Sakura said after a few nervous minutes, "You may as well tell us everything you saw, Ino. There might be something we can use to bring him out of... whatever this is."

Ino nodded, but took Sakura's hand before starting in a shaky voice.

"Well, at first it was just a regular dive, just like the last two times. I saw the flower garden, the trees, the forest... but Naruto wasn't there. Before I even landed, I heard the Fox laughing. I knew what it was right away... it couldn't have been anything else. So..."

(O)(O)(O)

_Ino stared around for several seconds, comparing the night sky she'd been expecting to the bright day she was in. Trying to ignore the terrifying laughter that drowned out any sounds of woodland animals, or the light breeze she could see stirring the leaves of the garden and it's terrifically use flowers._

_For a few seconds, Ino was distracted by a scene from Naruto's past. He had been perhaps eight, judging by the number of candles a buxom blonde woman- a slightly younger Tsunade- had been placing on a birthday cake he'd just snuck a glimpse of. Naruto heard a creak on the floorboard above the stairs and, panicking lest Shizune find him spying on his 'surprise' cake, darted into the bathroom without thinking._

_A moment later, a shrill cry of "Pervert!" split the air of his memory, before a tiny fist crashed into his cheek, knocking him back out into the hall just before Shizune stepped on him._

"_Heh," Ino mused aloud, "even as a girl Sakura was kinda cute. Naruto wasn't anything to laugh at, either. But I gotta find him... Where are you, blondie?"_

_For what seemed like days, she searched the garden, the forest surrounding it, the plains beyond them. _

_By the time she was about ready to give up, she'd even stopped caring that, if she _did_ find him, Naruto would be able to get another glimpse of her naked form. After all... it wasn't like she wouldn't be getting the same, and fair's fair, right?_

_But although the Fox continued to laugh incessantly, driving her to distraction all the while, she hadn't even found... it._

_The copse of woven trees and other plants that held it down, contained it, was nowhere to be found either. Ino had even returned to the flower garden and retraced her steps trying to find it, though she dreaded seeing the Fox again, but to no avail. Naruto's mind-scape had changed, or... or something.  
Then her chakra ran out, and the jutsu faded._

(O)(O)(O)

"And that's it. I don't know what else to say... I looked everywhere. Beyond the plains, there were mountains. Impossible mountains, things I'd never be able to climb even if I could fly. Mountains taller than the sky."

Temari snorted, "I know better than most how high you can go, but I've never heard of mountains that high."

Sakura shrugged. She was no master of science aside from medicine.

Ino, though, frowned at the other blonde, "This isn't reality we're talking about, this is Naruto's subconscious mind. The normal rules don't apply."

Temari smiled slightly, "So that's why it's okay to be naked? 'cause social rules don't apply either?"

Sakura grinned at the dig as well, but Ino scowled, "No, it's not like that. We can't help it. When my dad 'Walked me, showing me how it was done, we both got an eye full. You think that was fun? But it's the way it is, you don't have any secrets in your mind; you _can't_. Your mind knows what you look like for real, and it won't let you hide yourself behind lies or clothes or anything. That's one of the reasons why 'Walkers are so dangerous for intelligence gathering. No amount of training can hide you from a good one... although I guess Naruto's found a way."

Sakura blinked. "Ino... can you take me with you? I have... an idea."

Ino shrugged, "It takes a lot of chakra, but I can probably do it if you can wait till tomorrow. I'd probably want to take a soldier pill a bit before, though. I can only take one person, though, and I only did it once to show my Dad I understood how to."

Temari smiled again, "So your dad's seen you naked at least twice? Kinky family, Yamanka-san."  
She was wise enough not even to try to dodge the smack to the back of her head from Sakura, or the one Ino delivered a moment later by reaching around the medic.

"Anyway," Sakura said a few minutes later after Ino had stopped fuming, "It's worth a shot, anyway. But if you'll need to recover, we may as well get a good night's rest. Is there an inn or hotel we can stay at close-by, Temari-san? One of us should guard Naruto, but the others may as well get some rest, in a bed if we can."

"Sure," the taller blonde replied, "That one there's a small bed-and-breakfast, I think. At least, that's where we stayed when I was here the first time. The... the staff's not going to object to us staying for free."

Ino and Sakura both smiled grimly. Likely, no one would ever object in Ishigakure again.

Because after Temari had finished her clean-up, Ishi was no more.

**A/N2:** Not a whole lot to say about the chapter itself aside from the quick note above. Hope you enjoyed it. Whether you did, didn't or feel 'meh' about it, REVIEW! Seriously, I'm not trying to be a review whore, but let me know what you think, PLEASE. Only way I can get better- and I know I can.  
On a different note, I'm glad that (so far) I've been able to keep to my 1-per-week schedule. Here's hoping I never CAN'T. :)

**Glossary:**

**-Dono**: It's... well, I'm not totally sure, but I believe it's how a 'lord' or 'lady' recognizes similar status. It's used in various similar ways, at least. For instance, in Negima?, Kaede refers to Negi as -dono. He is above her in some ways (he's her teacher) but she is both older and (at the start) more powerful than he is, so she uses -dono to imply that she is his equal while acknowledging his own position. Or something like that. Anyone with the urge to set me straight on this, feel free.

Reminder: Yoshiyuki Tenna is the youngest niece of the former Daimyo (feudal lord) of the Fire Country. That makes her the (current) leader of the country, if the lines were followed at the moment. Her cousin is the heir, and the two of them are currently being protected by Asuma and Konohamaru, who we haven't seen in-story yet- though that time is rapidly approaching.


	35. Chapter 35: Mixed Blessings

**A/N:** Hey, good news, everybody! It's Christmas! (Or Christmahannukwaanzika, if you prefer- I know I do.)  
Even better, I have a present for you, in the form of a chapter! True, it's my regularly scheduled day... but as those of you who have me author alerted or favorited might know, I'm not JUST updating this. :)

Now, a few things before we begin- I've had to mention this in a couple of separate review replies, so let me clear something up. _**~~SPOILER ALERT~~ **_My Madara is NOT going to be either the Man-Behind-The-Mask that claimed to be Madara OR the Madara-raised-from-the-dead in canon. He was written into the story, plotted, and developed as a character before all that stuff was shown in canon, so in the interests of internal consistency, I'll be keeping him as I've written him. Another character (revealed in this chapter) is similar... but not the same, because that happened before I wrote her into the plot. Expect differences, but not huge ones in that case.

Now... Enjoy your early update! :)

**Chap. 35 Mixed Blessings**

"Any change?"

Sakura shook her head at Ino's question, "Not that I can see. He hasn't so much as moved a muscle aside from breathing, as far as I can tell." She sighed. "There's nothing for it, I guess, Ino. You'll just have to try again. If you can't find him fast, come back out, I'll give you a soldier pill, and you can try bringing me in."  
The girl in question frowned through the migraine building in her head. Extreme mental exertion and near-total chakra depletion, on top of the three kunai wounds- one of which that could easily have been fatal- just six short hours ago was not a pleasant combination.

Temari stepped from the inn they'd slept in, then paused and frowned from her position a dozen paces away, "Uh... Sakura? Ino? What's going on?"

The medic stopped pacing and scanned her teammates instead, "What do you mean?"

Ino was equally confused. "We haven't seen or heard anything. Well, except Naruto. He's mumbling 'No, no, no' over and over, but it's quiet."

Sakura quirked her head, looking at Naruto, "Really? I haven't heard that. How long has he-"  
She was interrupted by the Suna ninja, who was pointing at Ino, "You haven't noticed? You're covered in red chakra too. Not as strong as Naruto, but I can see the cloud. It's connected between you, too."

The younger women shared a soul-baring glance.  
"Am I?"

Temari risked moving a little closer, squinting at the air surrounding Sakura, then nodded. "It's not as thick or dense, but yeah."

"Probably best to stay back, then. The Fox's chakra is pretty toxic. I mean, look at my hand."

All the kunoichi's eyes widened. The terrible burn that graced Sakura's hand when she went to sleep last night, and even this morning as she'd rolled her futon up, was all-but gone.  
"What the _hell_, Forehead? You said you couldn't heal it!" Ino cried.

Sakura's voice shook as she whispered, "I... I _didn't_."

Silence fell over the four ninja and village for several tense seconds.

Then, suddenly, Ino burst into motion, yanking the bandages around her abdomen. After thirty seconds, however, she suddenly cried out in pain and stopped, falling backwards to the ground. "Ow... so not fair..." she whimpered, "How come Forehead's wound heals almost instantly, and I'm still hurt?"

The Yamanaka was not unintelligent. Far from it, she had a very quick mind. She was not, however, Haruno Sakura, the student of one of the foremost ninja minds ever.

"It's my talent... I'm good at medical jutsu, so it's helping me do it subconsciously. You're good at... what? What are you good at chakra-wise?"

Ino blinked, "You think? No... it couldn't be that easy, could it?"

Sakura shrugged, "I don't know. But this chakra, even though Temari says it's red, isn't hurting us. We can't even see it from the inside. Maybe... maybe it isn't the Fox doing it. Maybe it's Naruto. Maybe he's trying to help us, in the only way he can right now."

Naruto's girls were silent for a few minutes, staring at him. Temari watched on as long as she could, then said sternly, "Well, don't just stand there, then! Help him!"

Sakura and Ino nodded as one.

First, though, the medic gestured for Ino to lie back down. "Okay, I'm gonna just pour healing chakra into you... if this works like I think it will, it'll super-charge the jutsu, and it should heal you up really fast. Almost as fast as Naruto heals normally."

Ino's eyes flew open again in surprise. "That fast?"

Sakura shrugged, "I think so. I feel... energetic. Like he does all the time. I think this is the amount of the Fox's chakra that's normally flowing through him."

"Wow," was all Ino could say.

It took five minutes for the radiant blue-green light to completely close the wound on Ino's stomach. Another two minutes later, the holes in her arm and leg were closing up.

"Don't worry about scars," Ino said just as they knitted together completely, "I don't care if I have them."

Sakura looked up at her co-girlfriend-whatever, "You sure? You have really nice skin, and-"

But Ino shook her head, pushing Sakura's hands away, "No. They're a mark of battle, and a reminder not to be stupid in the future. I'm... I don't regret getting them. Now, if they were on my face or my boobs..."

The humor made even Temari smile.  
A few seconds later, Ino gingerly moved to touch Naruto, ignoring Sakura's hiss to stay back.

She winced. The density of the orange chakra around him was painful, but with a bit inside her own network shielding her, not damaging.  
At least, she hoped not.  
"Come here, Sakura, and hurry. I want to get this over with before my hand starts to melt."

The rosette gulped, but obeyed.

Under Ino's guidance, she mirrored her. Each had one hand clasped with the other in front of Naruto, and their other hand rested at the back of his head where it met his neck, their fingers mutually twisting in his shaggy golden hair.

"Ready for your first 'Walk, Sakura-chan?"

The medic was a little more squeeky than she'd have preferred when she muttered, "Y- no?"

But it was already too late. The bright, mist-filled valley of Ishi faded around them.

An unknown time later, it was replaced with darkness and cruel, horrible laughter.

(O)(O)(O)

"What the hell?" Sakura said, "Where are we? You said you appeared in a garden."

Ino, looking around the dank cavern, silently wondered that very thing herself. "I always have before. But I've never 'Walked anyone but daddy before Naruto, so maybe it's different sometimes. I don't know."

Green and teal eyes scanned the darkness, able to see hints of things, but with no actual light, it was just that- hints and impressions.

Large, empty space. Stone (maybe) walls, an uneven floor. There was stagnant, smelly water around their feet. It wasn't foul, but not something either would willingly drink, either. At least it was only ankle-deep to Ino, less than half-way up her lower leg to the shorter Sakura.

But the laughter was still everywhere.  
It didn't echo from the walls, it seemed instead to be in the very air around them, in the water, in the rocks, maybe even in themselves.  
**"I knew that would work... that stupid, insignificant insect. Did he think gifting you with a tiny fraction of my chakra was _his_ idea? That giving it to you without allowing it to poison you would benefit _him_? He's more foolish than I thought."**

Even while the voice- the same voice as the laughter- spoke, making the very air tremble with it's potent vibrations, the laughter continued uninterrupted. Maybe near-godlike beings of malevolence and hatred didn't actually need their throats to laugh or speak, so it could duplicate the sounds other ways.

"W- where are you? What have you done with Naruto-kun?"

"**Naruto-kun?**" the voice replied, deep, threatening, and yet mocking all the same. It made Sakura, or was it Ino who had spoken, cringe. Were they really that pathetic? Did they sound so... weak?

"**Has your little plaything gone missing, and you doesn't know where to find him? Come a little closer, little girl, and I'll _show you_."** The last were hissed. The sound, despite it's power (it was actually causing ripples in the water as it spoke), was soft, but no less deadly for it.

The girls- neither was later able to tell which had moved first- gripped each other's hands. One spoke, "W-where are you? W-w-we can't come to you if we don't know-"

Like a light being flicked on, the girls could suddenly see eyes.

Two of them, about fifteen feet away. Each was as long as Sakura was tall, slitted and red-irised, though there was a thick black ring around it before the sclera, which appeared slightly bloodshot.

Despite the overwhelming sense of danger, of threat, of terrible, formidable power behind those eyes, the girls felt a small hint of humor, of hope.

They spoke as one, though again, neither would be able to tell who actually said it in later times, "My, my, what big eyes you have."

As if by rote, the being responded, **"The better to peer into your worthless souls."**

They blinked. Where had that come from? It hadn't been delivered with the obvious fear their earlier statements and questions had.

It was almost as if something, a higher power, had whispered in their minds what they should say.

But while they wondered, the Fox was still speaking, **"-never give him up. He is **_**mine**_**, now. I will keep him until his body rots, and I am free."**

As the creature talked, though, the girls were able to see more and more of it. There were two gigantic ears, stretching back, laying low along it's neck. Dozens of feet long, they almost looked like a rabbit's, but instinctively, they knew that they were not the ears of a simple herbivore.

"_My, my, what big ears you have."_

Without questioning, without even pausing to wonder, the girls repeated it, as they had before.

Again, as if by rote, the Fox responded, **"All the better to hear you with when you scream."**

The girls shuddered. But they didn't each shudder, there was only one body doing so. They were one... somehow, some-way. Maybe it was a side-effect of the Kyuubi's chakra on the Mind-Walk technique?  
"You won't be making us scream. I've seen what you can and can't do, stupid fox."

The voice, however, was undeniably Ino's. At least that one.  
The one that had echoed the voice in their heads was both Ino and Sakura, with a hint of... something else.

While they pondered, massive, teeth-lined jaws came into view. It's snout wasn't as long as the ears, but nearly so. The teeth themselves were at least half as tall as Ino, the longer canines maybe three-quarters that length.

"_My, my, what big teeth you have."_

Ino and Sakura were terrified to mention such dangerous natural weapons, weapons that were mere feet- the closest about four- away from their shared body, but the voice, the urge it gave to mimic it, was so pervasive, so...

"My, my, what big teeth you have."

The Demon Fox snorted, causing the girls to step back due to the force of it's fetid breath, **"The better ****to rip you to shreds with, my tasty little dears."**

They shuddered, but the soothing voice was already there, taking away their fear and replacing it with good-natured ribbing... or whatever.

"_My, my, what foul breath you have."_

They repeated it, of course. They couldn't help it. The other voice they were speaking with commanded it, dictated it, as much as the one in their heads.

"**I hate that story... almost as much as I hate the one who taught it to me. Almost as much as I hate her son. I won't be responding to it any more, so you can all rot in here with your 'loving boyfriend' for making me listen to it. I _was_ going to let you free, but now-"**

"Oh, stop being such a petulant baby, Kyuubi," a strange voice said from out of the darkness.

"**_You_..."**  
As the single word was hissed, drawn out over several seconds, Ino-Sakura turned to the source of the voice.

Out of the darkness shone a single, pale light. Ovoid, it seemed, but that was probably an illusion due to the shape of the source.

A slender woman with a protruding belly, upon which one hand rested. Her hair was fiery red, past her waist, and mostly straight.  
But it was her eyes and her smile that held the attention of both of the girls that shared a body.  
"Hello, Ino, Sakura," she said.

Her voice was almost familiar, like they'd heard it- or one much like it- before.

The Fox hissed again, suddenly backing away from the girls, **"Stay away! Get away from me! I won't, I _won't_ be bound again! Not by you, not by _anyone_!"**

The woman, now just a few feet away from the girls, stopped, finally sparing a look toward the Fox as it continued to backpedal away. "Kyuubi, why would I bind you? _How_ would I bind you? I'm dead, remember? This is just a memory sealed in a jutsu. Just a last way to see my son again, to let him meet his mother."

The Fox only snarled, continuing to back away, fading into the darkness.

After it had vanished, the laughter ceased. The air was, instead, filled with a pregnant silence as the red-head turned back toward the girl's shared body.

"I can see you're a bit confused. Don't worry... I am too. But I think I have an idea of what's going on."

Somehow, despite apparently being in a shared body, the two younger women shared a look.

The older smiled, watching them, "I'm so glad my boy found you two. You're both very beautiful, and I can see that you love him very much." As she spoke, the red-headed woman stepped closer, holding her arms out to the sides. It never occurred to the suddenly-separate kunoichi to move away, even after she wrapped her arms around them both. That was a stretch, considering her height was somewhere between Sakura and Ino's, and her belly was swollen with a late-term pregancy.

"I- a- are you Naruto's-"

It was Ino who had asked.  
The woman stepped back, "Yes, Ino-chan. I'm Uzumaki Kushina. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Sakura spoke next, pointing at her belly (rather rudely, with gaping mouth), "And... and that's N-Naruto?"

Kushina grinned proudly, "It is! Oh, I wish I could have seen him more than just once when he was born... he was such a tiny thing, even though I'm a whale! But he's grown up strong, just like his father. He has you to thank for that, in part, Sakura-chan. You make sure you remind him of that if he gets out of line. You too, Ino-chan, for your part. It might have been shorter in duration, but you still helped shape the boy he was into the man he's becoming, and that's something to admire."

Ino mirrored Sakura in a numb nod.

Kushina smiled again, "Now, girls... we have a lot to talk about, and not much time. I only had once chance, and I used it now, so I won't be able to talk to Naruto directly. You'll have to teach him in my place. About our family, our Clan, and... well, everything. So listen up, okay?"  
For a moment, Sakura was astounded. She'd known Naruto was named after his mother rather than his father (and now that she knew who his father was, she understood why), but this... an entire Clan? And they had...  
"So, the Uzumaki kekkei-genkai..."

(O)(O)(O)

Simultaneously in the wind-swept and corpse-laden streets of the ghost town formerly known as Ishigakure, several things happened.

Ino and Sakura gasped, falling backwards from Naruto, all four of their eyes rolling wildly for several seconds as they returned to reality.

Naruto, crouched just as he had been between them, jumped to his feet, still silently screaming.  
The chakra, red and foul, faded away into the gathering night-time mist.  
Temari jumped from her half-awake state, hand on her weapon, as she leaned against a building.

And a cat, already going feral from lack of food, yowled and ran off into the darkness.

As Sakura, Ino, and Temari each climbed to their feet, Naruto's head began to droop.

"Why?" he whispered.  
"What?" Temari asked, still a few feet away, but walking towards them now that the chakra had gone.

"Why didn't she talk to me? Why did she... why did my mother talk to them, and not her own son? She could have... I know she could have. I just... I wanted to see her, just one time."

Naruto's voice was soft, yet it trembled.  
Temari could see tears streaming from his eyes, already gathering in a moist spot of the dusty street, barely visible in the wane moonlight.

"Naruto," Sakura sobbed, crushing him in a hug, "I'm so sorry... I know you wanted to see her, but she did it... she did it to save us. I'm so sorry we made you miss that chance..."

Ino was only a moment behind the rosette, but she said nothing.  
After several minutes of mutual crying, Naruto slowly brought his arms up to the shoulders of the girls and returned their hugs.

It might have been worth it.

He had missed out on seeing his mother just once in his life...

But she had forced the Fox to retreat, to spare his girls. Ino and Sakura were alive because of that.

He would never forget. Even after she had died giving birth to him, had died protecting him, she had continued to sacrifice her own wants and needs for what he needed in his life even more than her.

He would never, ever, forget.

He could not.

**A/N2:** Now, yes, I know it's sad and happy all at once... and it is a mixed blessing. However, remember that (as is usual for me) the title is NOT necessarily based on events as the characters see them. Naruto's mixed blessing is having his mother save his girls, but not be able to see her himself. Yes. However... believe it or not, the title of the chapter has nothing to do with that at all, it's something else entirely.

See if you can figure it out- an internet cookie (and maybe a shout-out) to anyone who does in review or PM. Obviously, I'd prefer the review since I'm 3 away from 250 as of right now. :)

Just for the record, I LOVE writing Kyuubi in this fic. He's hilarious to me, and not intentionally. Oh, and the whole Red Riding Hood bit? Yes, that means something. No, it's not terribly important... but it _does_ mean something. More to be revealed later, when this chapter is (bit by bit) explained.

Lastly, at least for the A/Ns, sorry about the (relatively) small size. I was originally going to add a couple of date-type scenes for Itachi/Tsunami and Sasuke/Hinata, but either, much less both, would make it horrendously long... so next time, I hope. Oh, and the whole opening battle with the Tsuchi border guards, too. I need to do that... But the next chapter's called "Tsuchi no Kuni", so you can expect it. :)

Till next time, and Happy Christmahannukwaanzika! (Or whatever you prefer...)

**Glossary:**

**Uzumaki Kushina**: Yep. You know her, you love her, Naruto's dear old mom. Yes, her chakra-image is based on the snapshot of her just before Naruto was born. That's why she's still pregnant- it's not a mystery ghost-child or the hidden love child of Kyuubi and Kushina. Just... no. Kushina might have been crazy, but she loved Minato, and wouldn't cheat on him with the Fox. No way. Lol

Anyhow... yes, she taught a lot to Ino and Sakura about how to teach Naruto his Clan techniques. Yes, that means he'll be learning them... sort of. Chains, etc- yeah, he'll get that. Full 9-tailed fox mode as in canon? Probably not. I'm taking his training in a different direction. However, his 'training' (aside from said Uzumaki abilities) is mostly over, he only has one more thing to learn before he's declared a master in his own right nearly equal (except in experience) to the Sannin.  
And no... it won't be the Hiraishin.  
Maybe. :)

But I digress- this is about Kushina. She's mostly as shown in canon (especially during the flashback while he's training with Bee and Kyuubi), but with one difference- she never got to see Naruto. She didn't help him subdue the Kyuubi. The best she could do was teach the girls how to teach him, and that loses a bit in translation. That's actually why he won't be getting the gold-chakra-fox-super-power-mode or whatever Kishimoto is calling it.

However... rest assured, my Naruto will be equally powerful in the end (at least almost), he'll just get there a different way. Bit more his father's boy in this fic than a mama's boy as far as his techniques. Only knows one of his dad's in canon, and 3-4 of his mother's. This time, it's backwards. Ish.


	36. Chapter 36: Tsuchi no Kuni

**A/N:** Well, all's right with the world so far... working again (even if only part time and temporary), and I've now kept up my "one update per week" for more than (I think) 2 months. I was even able to update (at least a little) most of my stories for Xmas, and have worked ahead a full week already since then. :)

Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter- it's only got a little combat, but it's got a fair bit of behind-the-scenes politics and other things going on that will have impact later. :)

Have fun!

**Chap. 36 Tsuchi no Kuni**

They were moving again, but Uzumaki Naruto was more furious than ever. A part of him thought that it was simple jealousy that his girls had gotten to see his long-dead mother (even if only an imprint she'd left in his own head), and he hadn't.

Yet, thinking of that situation really only filled him with peace. His mother, like him, thought of his girl's needs before his own... and in doing so, thought of his needs over his wants as well. Because as much as he wanted to see her, talk to her, meet her, even just catch the slightest glimpse, to see his mother's face...

He needed Ino and Sakura more.

Maybe that was it? He'd come close to losing them both on this trip, more than once. They could easily have been killed, according to all three of the kunoichi with him, by Akasuna no Sasori. In a fit of surprising maturity, both of the women who'd been involved with that fight attributed their survival and victory more to luck and Sasori's overconfidence than any other factor, including their own skill.

It may have been a bit longer shot, but they also could have been killed if the Ishi ninja who'd attacked them had been better with their shuriken and kunai.

Worse, though, was his anger at himself. If he had been just a sliver weaker, if the Fox had been just a tiny bit stronger... it would have overpowered him in that first few, mad seconds after Ino, and then Sakura, had been hit.

But the very worst part? He had allowed himself to be tricked, duped, by the same being who wanted nothing more than it's own release through his untimely death or lack of control.

That it- that _he_- had allowed the Fox's chakra to seep into his girls was... Naruto wasn't sure _what_, exactly, it was, but the idea was so foul, so heinous, he doubted even Sakura had a word for it.

"Naruto, slow down!"

The voice was distant, more than fifty yards back. At once, Naruto's pace dropped, and he turned backwards mid-jump to look over his shoulder, landing on the large branch without glancing down at it at all.

Temari was closest, about half-way between he and Sakura, but she was clearly using her Wind-natured chakra to boost her speed, because she was landing and jumping again only half as often as even Naruto, instead soaring between the trees and large rocks, whose frequency was growing as they ascended into the Land of Earth. The rosette was about twenty yards behind the fan-wielder, puffing and red-faced in her efforts to keep up. She scowled lightly at him, but didn't stop until she had reached his position. Ino, however, was another thirty yards behind Sakura, panting and wheezing.

Was her physical conditioning really so weak, compared to Sakura's and his own?

Could he be with someone who couldn't hold her own?

He should cut her loose, before it gets worse.

In fact, he should kill her before she endangers their mission.

Right?

"Damn it, Naruto, she's hurt, remember?"

The thoughts- he _knew_ they weren't his own- fled from his mind with Sakura's voice.

He nodded, "Yeah, sorry... it's just... ever since- since Ishi, my temper... I was getting mad. I stopped paying attention."

She nodded, frowning, "I understand. But try and keep control, okay? We can't be very far from the border now, we need to stay on our toes. Part of that is allowing ourselves time to rest up so we aren't forced into an ambush when we're exhausted."

He nodded again, this time saying nothing. Instead, he increased the chakra flow to his ears and nose, turning his head at irregular intervals to scan the area around them while the long-haired blonde caught up.

It didn't take long. Even hurt, worn from the long, hard pace Ino was moving at, now that Naruto took a second to see it, she was moving pretty quickly. But she was also pale, and he could see a slight hint of pink through the bandage on her abdomen.

She turned to look at him after taking a few seconds catching her breath. "S-Sorry. I'll try... not to s- slow you down. If you have to, go... go on ahead."

He was about to shake his head when Sakura's stern voice cut him off. It caused a small spike of anger that she would dare interrupt, but he forced it down. Sakura interrupted him all the time. Why should it bother him so much?

"No, Ino. Nobody's leaving anyone behind. You're hurt, but it's been long enough I can probably close up the wound completely now. Let's take a break soon, get your bandage changed, and while we're doing that, I'll finish healing you up."

Both Naruto and, surprisingly, Temari frowned at the delay, but they could see the sense in it. The woman of the two, however, noted, "We passed into Tsuchi already, though, at that last ridge. We need to be careful and on our guard. I heard they relaxed the patrols a bit with Ishi being allied with them, but I don't trust that rumor at all."

Naruto agreed, "I'll keep a perimeter. You three take an hour or whatever... but we need to hurry. Gaara's... it's already been a few days. We've wasted a lot of time."

Left unsaid was that they had already been slowed down too much. The Jinchuuriki of the One-Tail was probably already dead.

(O)(O)(O)

"My Lord... what are we going to do?"

The deposed Daimyo of the Land of Steam (More commonly known as 'Hot Water', after it's Hidden Village) frowned. "I don't know, Buun. It took that snake-faced bastard less than a day to overwhelm Yugakure. While I've got no love for those usurpers and traitors, I can't believe they fell so quickly to his forces. Is the difference between a Jonin and one of the Densetsu no Sannin so much?"

The youngest man in the small room frowned. "I don't know, my Lord... but reports say that Orochimaru was not at the battle. Two of his bodyguards were, but only two. A red-haired woman, a Genjutsu specialist, and a large orange-haired man. I would have thought them weak, but... they and a hundred Chunin-level shinobi destroyed all of Yu's fighting forces in under an hour, flattened half the town shortly after. I barely escaped."

The Daimyo nodded, stroking his long, prematurely graying beard as he looked around at his 'generals' and 'advisers'. Advisers to a kingdom that appeared to have already fallen.

What could he do?

What could any of them do?

Flee. Flee into another nation, call for asylum... and they would either be handed over to Orochimaru, or kept in safety until he came for them.

They could stay, put up a meager resistance, and die.

One of the generals, a man named Subotu, growled. "If those traitors hadn't sided with Hidan, Orochimaru would never even have attacked us. We wanted to demilitarize completely!"

Privately, the Daimyo wondered how that idiot had ever risen to the rank of general. What general wanted to remove his own position? Outwardly, however... "Then Orochimaru would have swept across the country in days, not the two years it's taken him. I hate this situation as much as anyone, but we owe Hidan's group that much, at least. It wasn't like he was a tyrant, either. He just... wanted different things than us."

The Jonin kneeling before the old man looked like he had something to say. The Daimyo gestured him on, "Go on, Buun. Say what you need to."

The younger man struggled for several minutes while the older people around him grew increasingly nervous. "Go on, lad," the Daimyo said, "just spit it out. Nobody's going to get mad at you for being the messenger they let go."

"Th- thank you, Lord Furoshi," the ninja said. He took several more calming breaths before he began. "My Lord, the Oyabun's brother and daughter fled. They were, according to the rumors I heard, attacked more than a month ago by a team from Hi no Kuni's new village, Ootori. The Yu team captured one and escaped, but the Ootori team captured both the Jonin and his niece. Later, they were set free, and the same team walked into Yugakure alone.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened, I was out on patrol, but there was... a battle. Hidan-sama- er- Hidan-san, the traitor, was... I don't know. But he suddenly went from defending Yu against Ootori to fighting them on Ootori's behalf. He helped them escape, went with them. Yu... hasn't had real leadership since. That might be why they fell so quickly. If Hidan was gone, and his brother was missing..."

The Daimyo nodded, "Furoshi was always cunning as well, but I don't think he's a coward. He's here, in Yu no Kuni, somewhere. We'll have to find him, hope he has a plan. Because frankly, my friends, I'm at a loss."

It was just then that the doors to the chamber were flung open, and a wounded- not heavily- guard was thrown through them.

All eyes went immediately to the doorway, where a young woman who couldn't be older than sixteen stood. In one hand, she bore a flanged mace. In the other, a partially-unrolled scroll.  
The woman's silver-blue hair made him cringe. _Hidan's daughter... We're doomed. I've heard she's crazier than he is._

But the girl walked in calmly, ignored the guards moving around her- as well she might, the Daimyo knew, because none were ninja- and placed the scroll in his faintly-trembling hands. "My Lord," she said calmly, "You have a traitor in your midst. The scroll will give you the details. In the meantime, consider this a peace offering, from the family of Yuuna to the family of Uchiro."

Without another word, the girl had whirled around and jumped off the small dais of the temporary throne room, and buried her mace in Buun's head.

As the body slumped, several of the less worldly members of his court-in-exile fainted. The warriors among them growled or drew weapons.

The girl, though, only flicked the blood, bone, and brain fragments from her mace and turned to him again, just as calmly as ever. "You'll find, if you search him, that Buun was covered in explosive tags. He was sent to get close to you, then trigger them. He... was captured by Orochimaru's men. They do not let people go without a reason."

The slight hiccup in her voice was enough to tell the Daimyo that she was either sincere or a _very_ convincing liar. Still... "Why should the House of Uchiro believe anything a Yuuna has to say?"

The girl shrugged, dropping the mace to the ground, and began stripping.

Within a minute, she was completely naked before them all. A few more of the courtiers had fainted, but the majority of them- being male- were rather enjoying the show. She _was_ a pretty young woman, all things considered, and they were just as human as the rest of their gender.

"As you can see, my Lord, I am unmarked by Orochimaru's seals, by poison, by wound. I was able to incapacitate eighteen guards on my way to you. If I had wanted you dead, I would not need to rely on such unpredictable methods as Buun here was sent to do. I'd simply have buried my mace in _your_ head, instead. However... that is not what I want."

The court was silent for several minutes as they watched (or ogled) the young woman. She stood calmly, almost completely still, throughout.

"What _do_ you want, young lady?"

She shrugged, "What you want. I want Yu to be free, just as it was before... before we made the worst mistake we ever had, the worst mistake you've ever made, my Lord."

Several of the military officers growled, but the Daimyo raised his hand to halt them. "It takes a certain amount of chutzpa to tell a daimyo to his face he made a mistake, young lady. Dress. Tell me what mistake that was, and we shall... talk."

She nodded and did so, as coldly efficient while doing so as when she'd stripped. As she did, Nikio explained, "Your mistake was attacking Konoha along with everyone else. If you had stayed uninvolved, no one would have questioned it, like they would have for Ame, or Kusa. We have always stayed out of other's business."  
He had not been expecting that. Allowing Hidan a chance to take over, yes. Letting Orochimaru's forces wreak havoc on his country, yes.  
But was his greatest mistake truly so far back, sixteen years before Orochimaru had first attacked his country?

As if she could read his mind, the young woman nodded. "Yes, my Lord. In turning against Konoha, you, along with every other nation on the continent, has brought us to the dark days we are in now. I don't blame you, I think I'd have made the same choice. My uncle says he would have. But we can change things, going forward. I... I have been taught that."

The daimyo nodded, but wondered, "By who? Who has affected you so, daughter of the Yuuna?"

She corrected, "Clan Head of the Yuuna, my Lord. My uncle and father are both... well, not dead, but either dead or no longer in a position to lead my family."

He nodded, gesturing her to continue, but wondering what the point was of being Head of a family of one.

"A young man, and a young woman... who showed me something more. That's all. They showed me how things could be, and I... I think I want that world they see. That is all. I'd do anything to have it."

The daimyo was confused, but hid it well. "What is that world?"

She slumped a little, relaxing slightly, but smiled. "A world without large-scale war, without conflict, without people dying every day, for a quarter-inch of land, or a few ryo, or... a world full of friends, of real allies, of family beyond that of blood. That is what they see, what they showed me. That is what I want."

A general- a different one- spoke again, "What you want will never happen, girl. Don't be so naïve. Even if-"

The girl ignored him. Instead, she stepped back to the throne again, and tapped the forgotten scroll on the daimyo's lap. "My Lord, many of your questions, I have already answered. You need only read."

So he did. At first, he was wary of taking his eyes off the young woman, but then he remembered... she could very well have killed him several times, but had not.

She was right. The scroll, several inches long, answered almost every question he'd been asking either his advisers or himself over the last few weeks.

It was the last few lines, however, that really struck him, because they were written in an entirely different, more feminine, hand.

_Lord Uchiro Furoshi, Daimyo-in-Exile of the Land of Hot Water,_

_I propose an alliance to bring what remains of our fractured land back together. The terms are simple: A wedding between your line and mine. Make the two, one._

_Do this, and I will help you in any way I can to return Yu to what it once was, a land of peace._

_-With high hopes,_

_-Yuuna Nikio, Daughter of Yuuna Hidan, former Oyabun of Yugakure._

"But..." he sputtered, "I have... no surviving children. And you..."  
She nodded, "You have seen me, my Lord. Am I displeasing to you?"

He shook his head, eyes wide. His fifty-two years had not prepared him for... for this. She was _far_ too young. But...

"I understand that the age difference is considerable. However, as I stated earlier, I will do _anything_ to bring this nation back to what it could be. Marrying a man forty years my senior is difficult, but it is not unheard of for a marriage between nobility, is it not?"

Numbly, he nodded.  
As the furious whispers began to spread through the temporary throne room, Furoshi had to wonder... What the hell was going on? What tune was he dancing to?  
Worse, who was the one playing it?

(O)(O)(O)

"Lord Tsuchikage!"

The door of his office flew open. His ears, though a little deadened with age, still heard the sharp sound as it cracked. He looked up from the short desk, glaring at the interruption. The meeting he and the Jonin council had been conducting was tedious, but important. "What do you want?"

Azuma Kibachi, the "Little Fang", was one of Iwa's better Tokubetsu Jonin. If he dared interrupt this meeting, it was for a good reason.

"Lord Tsuchikage, we've had reports of a large-scale assault on Tsuchi no Kuni! The Daimyo's asking for our immediate aid!"

Oonoki, the short (not _only_ due to advanced age) Kage frowned. "His own troops can't handle it?"

The Special Jonin shook his head, "No, Sir. It's a force of ninja. I haven't heard any reports yet of who exactly it is, but they wiped out Ishigakure... completely."

Several of the Jonin in the room scoffed. No one could wipe out an entire village, even a small one.

Well, no one except one of the Five Great Nations. And they only existed because they balanced each other's power... more or less. Even as strong as Iwa was, devoting the forces (and casualties) necessary to wipe out even a small village like their new ally would weaken them sufficiently for one of the other nations to swoop in and destroy them...

Weakening said nation enough for the same to happen to it, in an ongoing cycle until nothing was left. That was why, despite Suna's relative weakness to Iwa (as they saw it), they had never attacked. It was enough to chip away at them, little by little, like they had with buying out Ishi's loyalty.

Oonoki jumped to his feet, however, ignoring the gasps of his high ninja. It didn't do much for his height, but everyone suddenly fell quiet, listening intently to their leader. "Send six scout patrols. I don't care who, they can be rank Genin for all I care, just get them there, find out who they are, and get them back. If you lead a scout squad yourself, then get going. _Now_. We have to know who we're dealing with. Who would have the damned guts to attack us in our own country."

Before he had finished the word 'now', six of the thirty-odd Jonin in the meeting office had stood and vanished.  
But the Tsuchikage was not done yet. "They obviously want a war... well, we'll show them what happens when you attack a sleeping dragon in it's own cave, won't we men?"

There was a rousing cheer.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, each of the ninja in the room, save the younger Special Jonin who'd made the initial report, was gone with their own orders. "What, Azuma?"

The young man opened his mouth to reply, shut it, and tried again. "Sir... sir, there are a few rumors- nothing confirmed- that the man leading the attack is a tall blonde man, with short, spiky hair. It could be... _him_."

The inflection the younger ninja used was not lost on the old Kage, though he ignored it for the time being. After all, Namikaze Minato had absolutely devastated their country in the last ninja war, practically on his own. The young man should be allowed to show a little... caution in his voice.

"It's not. Namikaze's dead, has been for years. You think, even wounded, he wouldn't have come to Konoha, or later Hi's, defense when they got their asses handed to them by the combined might of the other nations? Whatever that man was, he was no coward, and not one to stand aside while others fight. This guy might be trying to use that fear and image against us, but it's _not_ him. I can guarantee that much, at least."

"Still, Sir... I'd like permission to check myself, if that's all right. I know I don't lead a scout team, but... my father."

The old man nodded once, and turned away. It was not permission, though, and the younger ninja knew it. His Kage was merely thinking to himself, debating the pros and cons of such an action. At last, he spoke, "I admire your bravery, and your need for revenge. But if this man, whoever he is, is daring to use the Yellow Flash's image... then he's got to have something to back it up. You will stay here, help organize the defenses. Quietly- _quietly_- let some of the commanders know what you've told me, but tell them to keep it from the lower ranks for now. Wouldn't do any good to scare everyone into a panic. Just let them know we've got an imposter, so they aren't surprised later."

"Y- Yes, Sir."

Oonoki nodded again, and this time the ninja knew it was a dismissal.

After he'd gone, the Kage frowned, before throwing the much-hemmed-in white-and-gray robes around his shoulders, and picked up the heavy hat once more. He hadn't actually worn it outside of ceremony in almost two decades. Now, apparently, it was time again.  
"Don't go disobeying that order now, Azuma... if this man _is_ related to Konoha's Yellow Flash in some way, then you'll probably have your chance for revenge soon enough if you stay right here."

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto frowned, but not from the difficulty of the fight. Apparently, Iwa had not evolved their tactics or larger strategy since Jiraiya and he had last visited eight years previously. The fact that they had done significant (but not excessive) damage to three squads of Iwa ninja when their identities had been outed as former Konoha ninja had apparently not shown them in stark enough contrast the difference between quality and quantity.

Right foot, outward crescent. Face hit. Iwa Chunin goes flying. Twist torso in follow-through, keep the momentum going.

Left heel strikes Iwa Genin, who had been backing up his kunoichi teammate. He goes flying too. Right hand darts out from near chest to block kunai with his own, left strikes out to slap aside an incoming tanto swing from the team's Jonin leader.

With one hand still holding the tanto at bay, both feet spring up and strike the Jonin in the chest, throwing the pair apart. Two ribs cracked, but Naruto simply rolled backwards in mid-air, and again landed on his feet in a surprisingly acrobatic maneuver for someone who fought as a self-styled 'brawler'.

Temari, watching this from her position at the rear of their own team's formation, whistled slightly. She, Sakura, and Ino were good. She had proof of that over the last three teams who'd attacked them since they crossed the border from Ishi.

This one, though, had their weakest, strongest, and one in the middle teammates taken out by Naruto in under two seconds, and all he'd done was draw two kunai to defend. No jutsu, no Fox chakra, nothing... just that weird, leg-offense and hand-defense style.

The remaining Chunin dropped his kunai, turned, and ran. Naruto looked for a moment as if he wanted to give chase, but Ino reminded him, "We aren't here to fight Iwa, Naruto, remember? We're just here to rescue Gaara and Yugito. Not start a war we can't win, even with the Fox."

Reluctantly, he pulled back.

Temari frowned... his blood-lust was getting worse. He hadn't even called on the thing's foul red chakra, but it was still affecting him. She could see it, even though she'd only really met him a week or so ago.

Worse, to her, was that her support, Sakura and Ino, were suffering as well... though none of them seemed to notice. Each had been more on edge, tempers had flared, they had reacted more violently than even Temari- trained for longer and in some ways harder than any of them- could image herself doing.

Sakura, for instance, had used her strength to catch a tiger-hand in her own open palm, and twist forward, forcing her enemy at the time's hand backwards until it met his own elbow, causing several pops and snaps along the way. She ignored his screams, had, instead, kicked him across the clearing without letting go. His hand, Temari saw, stayed with Sakura. She'd effectively ripped it off with her bare hands, and never even paused to notice.

At the thought, Temari shuddered.  
It was worth it... it had to be. Whatever had happened to them with the Fox's chakra, it had to be worth it. They had to be able to save this Yugito person, and maybe her estranged brother, had to be able to form a _real_ alliance based on the idea of peace, not mutual destruction if it was broken.

It just had to be.

But, as they moved further up into the mountains, Temari couldn't stop herself from thinking... it wasn't worth it at all.

**A/N2:** Not much to say I didn't put in the earlier A/N, so I'll make this brief: Karma demands that you review. Seriously. You don't want to know what bad things happent to people who read stories and don't review too much. :)

… mostly kidding. Mostly. :)

Lastly, I've had plot bunnies show up in my head for two more fics- one based on Suikoden 5 (Would be a harem with the Prince, but not a truly massive one of every cute lady in the game- far too many of them).  
The second is a crossover (shudder) for Naruto and Star Wars, featuring a younger (pre-Shippuden) Naruto getting thrown- somehow- into the Star Wars universe. The pairing, such as it is, would be him and Ahsoka Tano from Clone Wars- and would be set nearing the end of the War, about a month before Order 66. I couldn't start writing this soon, though, since I've haven't watched enough of the show.  
Anyone interested in reading those? Let me know, reviews (or if you have to, PM) work great for that. :)

**Glossary:**

**Oonoki:** Yep. Same dude. Still a bit of a hard-ass, but he's getting _really_ old now, and starting to want peace on his own even before Naruto, Gaara, and Tsunade convince him.

**Azuma Kibachi:** OC, but loosely based on Azuma Shibito (I think that's the right name), who was killed by the Yondaime in the Third War. This kid's his son.

**Tsuchikage: **Position of the Kage for Iwagakure.

**Iwagakure:** The Hidden Village of the Land of Earth. "The Village Hidden by Stone". It's probably the largest Village in population, at least for ninja. They very much believe in quantity over quality, and have nearly double the ninja force (by headcount) as the next largest nation, Kumo. However, that leads to the individual ninja being weaker since they can't afford to train them all well.

**Tsuchi no Kuni:** The Land of Earth. It's the largest country on the continent in terms of area, and has the largest population as well, though the two are not directly corellary. Much of Tsuchi is nearly uninhabitable, rocky cliffs and mountains. While there are small villages throughout, there are relatively few large cities- but still enough to give them the biggest populace to pull ninja from.

**Yuuna Nikio:** Repeated entry, but this is all new data I'll be adding to hers earlier: Yes, I made a slight edit- she's no longer the old Oyabun's daughter, but Hidan's. Yes, that means Hidan had sex with someone before he killed her... but even Hidan doesn't kill everyone he meets. Some just aren't worth it. He didn't know Nikio was even alive until she was a few years old, and the prostitute who was her mother brought their child to him after she came down with a lethal disease. He raised her ever since- or more accurately, his brother did. Yes, that brother is now dead and has no more bearing on the story.

**Uchiro Furoshi:** "The Nettles" or something. /shrug He's the Daimyo of Yu (This is purely Fanon), and is an OC. Yes, he's really going to marry Nikio, and yes, they'll be having at least one heir... but it has minor bearing on the story for now. Will matter more later, towards the epilogue.

**Buun:** Former Jonin of Yu. Everything Yuuna Nikio said was true (as is most of what he said, actually).


	37. Chapter 37: The Unwilling

**A/N:** Not to much to say. Glad you guys are getting two weeks in a row, but I'm a bit mad at myself- got sidetracked with FF13 (finally got around to buying it), and have eaten up my cushion for posting chapters now.

Still, THIS chapter was supposed to go up early this morning, and I got busy and forgot to put it up. Sorry. On the other side of that... it's ready to go, so here you are. Enjoy!

**Chap. 37 The Unwilling**

"Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, Uchiha-san," the elderly shopkeeper said.

Sasuke frowned. He hadn't been able to go anywhere within Ootori for nearly three weeks without someone expressing their happiness with his upcoming wedding. He wouldn't really have minded, his fiancée, Hyuuga Hinata, was extremely pretty and obviously knew the ways of high-class society. That was something, he was coming to know, his older brother had largely skipped over during his education. Since Itachi had already expressed a great deal of displeasure at the idea of heading the Clan once their estranged father had become re-acquainted with his sons, that left Sasuke.

Honestly, Sasuke thought it was a good match. He liked Hinata's shy, quiet nature. It fit his own. Sure, their home life was likely to be extremely quiet by many's standards, but they would also not be yelling or stepping on each others' toes often. She would handle the politics, he would handle the policing of rules, protecting his family, and so on.

What other eighteen-year-old shinobi had the chance for a setup like that? Especially since the Hyuuga heiress would also be forging, along with him, a truly lasting peace between the two formerly (and, admittedly, current) rivals. On top of that, Sasuke was fond of reminding himself, she was beautiful.

Maybe they would never have love, but at least she was fun to watch as she demurely walked around the nascent Village.

Except that, ever since their engagement party, she had been avoiding him. When they'd been forced together, Hinata had been surprisingly cold. It was doubly shocking because, to everyone she seemed to meet, the raven-haired young woman was unfailingly kind, generous, and loving.  
Yet, whenever they'd been forced together by serendipity or the machinations of their families, Hinata's entire countenance had changed. No longer warm, no longer cheerful. The only thing the same was her reserved nature... except that she said even less verbally, while many things were said with her eyes. Unfortunately, Sasuke was quickly learning that, even with her pale eyes, they were quite expressive all the same... at least as far as anger, hatred, and contempt went.

"Thank you, Nagashi-san. I'm... looking forward to them, as well. Hinata-sa- Hinata-_chan_ is a beautiful young woman. I'm sure we will be... very happy."

Fortunately, the old man had not seemed to notice the slip, or the unsure tone of Sasuke's voice. For his part, the shinobi was even more happy that no one would be able to see the unsettled feeling in his gut at the thought.

What had happened? When did the shy, demure young woman he'd found himself accidentally- or at least through no fault of his own- come to... to _hate_ him so? Was there someone else? That was the only theory Sasuke could come up with.

And no matter how skilled a shinobi his brother had trained him to be, the younger scion of the Uchiha knew better than to try a bit of reconnaissance on a Hyuuga. Even though Hinata was not a trained kunoichi, she would undoubtedly be able to detect his presence very quickly, and that would be... bad.

So what could he do?

Maybe, after they were married for a time, she would start to relax and he could actually talk to her to find out... though talking had never been his strong suit.

The chime of the small shop rang just as he picked up his small bag of groceries. Sasuke again thanked the shopkeeper with a bow and murmur before turning to the door.

_Really, Kami? Right now? We have to do this _right now_, when I'm already as confused as hell?_

Standing in the doorway, blocking his exit, was the curvaceous form of the very girl he had been thinking about, the very one he was engaged to.

"H-Hinata-chan. It's... nice to see you."

She was silent for several seconds, while the shopkeeper called out a cheerful greeting and congratulated her, as well.

However, when she spoke, a chill wandered down Sasuke's spine, although her voice was as soft and carefully-modulated as any he'd ever heard, "Sasuke-kun. I have been looking for you for several hours."

Sasuke blinked and nodded. "Oh. Uh... I've been running errands. Dinner."

This time, she nodded, though she didn't blink. In fact, her nearly-featureless lavender eyes bored into Sasuke's dark ones. For a moment, he considered activating his Sharingan to let her see how it felt. That, however, could not be done. The Sharingan, unlike the Byakugan, was a weapon, and activating it was tantamount to drawing a kunai. She couldn't help her white eyes, however. "I see. Perhaps we should... talk."

Sasuke gulped. "Very well. Would you like to join me at my brother and I's tent? I have enough for us all here."

Hinata, though, shook her head. "No, thank you. However, if Nagashi-san would be kind enough to give us a few minute's privacy, this will not take long."

To his credit, the man only hesitated a moment before shuffling out from behind the counter, flipping the sign on the door and locking it, and moving into the back room where, doubtless, the once-retired merchant kept both stock and his small home. The building itself, rather new and ramshackle, was not that large. "Take as long as you need, Hyuuga-sama."

After he'd gone, Hinata stepped across the small grocery to stand directly in front of Sasuke. She glared up at him, though her expression never changed. "Uchiha-san, I don't know what your brother taught you about honor, but your behavior since our families formalized our betrothal has been _reprehensible_. My father would have thrown me from our family if I had acted as you have towards me."

Sasuke started to draw breath indignantly, intending to retort that it had been she, not he, who had been acting poorly. However, he was not given the chance.

Hinata, leaning in now, had a rather firm set to her red lips, "If you were not interested in our engagement, you should have said so from the outset, rather than let our families go through this expense, spend the time organizing our wedding and alliance, and most especially, before you let a young woman who dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding have those dreams crushed by a cold-hearted _bastard_ who would snub her at her _own engagement party_!"

Sasuke actually stepped back from the vehemence of the young woman's words. Again, he drew in breath to retort, but she had already spun away, and was stalking to the door.

As she turned, her hair whirled. As she walked, Sasuke noticed how her hips and buttocks- so rarely covered in somewhat tight trousers rather than her usual dress- swung.

Perhaps he could be forgiven, then, for forgetting what he was going to say before she reached the door.

There, while unlocking it, Hinata said, without turning to look at him again, "I expect better in future, Sasuke-_kun_. Like it or not, we are going to be married. You may hate me, but in public, you and I will show each other nothing but warmth and affection... or we will have _problems_. Am I clear?"

For just a moment, Sasuke wondered where the shy Hinata had gone. Was this what hid behind the quiet girl? Had she always been this... forceful?

But before he had any answers to those questions, the door had swung shut. She was already gone.

"Well, _fuck_," he muttered. He was not one given to cursing, given that he had been raised almost a hermit, but he could find no other words to express his feelings at that particular moment.

All this time, he thought she'd hated him... when it had really been anger because she thought his own shyness and all-too-obvious feelings for her (even if, at the time, they had been only lust) were hatred? How had things gotten so... so messed up? Why wasn't it all easy? Wasn't he the prophesied hero? The guy who saved the Village, and all of Hi no Kuni? Wasn't the hero supposed to get the girl and live happily ever after?

"Damn it... Damn it all!" he suddenly cried, loudly, heedless of the shopkeeper in the back room, or even the crowds out on the street who heard his shout.

(O)(O)(O)

Two miles to the north, at that precise moment, Sasuke's older, wiser, and more experienced brother was having difficulties of his own. Having returned north to the refugee camp after delivering their terms, he had lead the team of shinobi escorting the first wave of long-term refugees to Ootori, where, hopefully, they would be able to find a lasting home. Something that many of the younger generation, largely left back at their camp with the majority of their families, had never had. He was gesturing out over the shallow valley where Konoha had once stood, and Ootori was being built, explaining the lay of the land and what the plan for construction was in loose terms. After all, since this was a construction crew, the families to come after, they needed to know the basics of where to begin.

That was, for the taciturn Uchiha, all well and good. He could lead ninja, he _had_ lead ninja, as one of Konoha's former ANBU Captains, at a very young age. No problem to do it again, even though he hardly knew any of Ootori's current forces. At least about half of their number had been Uchiha, so he could count on their strength. Whatever his problems with his father, Uchiha knew that Fugaku would not allow a weakling to become a ninja. Not in his Clan.

No, Uchiha Itachi had three, all related- literally- problems.

The first, and arguably lesser, was one Watanabe Tazuna. The old man had been relentless. Jovial, kind, and friendly, the man had been an optimist through suffering that Itachi felt would have broken him. He'd even asked the second problem how that had happened. Said problem had sniffed, reluctantly replied that Tazuna hadn't had any choice, he _had_ to be optimistic, because no one else would.  
That had made sense... but it still grated on Itachi's nerves how much the man talked. _Seriously,_ the shinobi had wondered not two days into the slow journey, _how many times can you say 'super' in one sentence? It's... unreal!_

But Tazuna's annoyance, while great, paled in comparison to the second problem. Inari was, like Tazuna, something of a leader among the Wave refugees. While the master carpenter had reached that dubious honor through hard work, diligence, and the sheer weight of his age combined with experience, Inari had essentially fallen into the position. However, while Tazuna spoke for the group as a whole, Inari spoke for the children. It did not help that Inari also felt Itachi was manipulating their whole group just to get at his mother. Obviously, many of the children, teens, and younger adults didn't much like Itachi, like Inari himself.

Again, though, the shinobi's issue with Inari- or rather, Inari's issue with him- paled next to the one standing next to him. Because Inari's mother, Tazuna's daughter-in-law, was vexing Itachi beyond belief.

She had been kind, considerate, willing to upend her entire livelihood, such as it was, on the slim hope that Ootori could protect them. That in and of itself displayed a bravery and will that Itachi found admirable. That she was, for a woman most of a decade older than he (eight years, if he remembered right), very attractive. She still had a very feminine figure, unmarred by the birth of her only child. She even seemed to carry some sort of affection for Itachi, though he was hardly the best to judge what kind it was.

No...

In fact, that was the root of his problem with the woman.

No part of Itachi's long experience or training as a ninja had prepared him for... for this.

He knew about sex, it was a mandatory part of Konoha's education. Knowing Tsunade (and Lord Jiraiya, he knew), it would be for Ootori as well. How can you be safe about something of which you know nothing?

What he _didn't_ know was how to deal with... with a woman. She hugged him. The response to that was simple enough... an awkward hug back.  
Once, she had given him a small peck on the cheek. That time, his face had heated up uncomfortably, his heart had started racing like it did in combat, his stomach fell into his feet, while apparently simultaneously pushing his heart up into his throat, where it hammered loudly... oh, and the clammy, sweating hands. _Can't forget those..._ he thought with a frown. _What the hell is wrong with this picture? How can this civilian woman I barely know... make me useless? I'm one of the strongest, most talented ninja Konoha produced in it's entire history! I might well rank up there with the Hokage themselves! How can this one, unarmed woman make me so _weak_?_

"Excuse me, Itachi-kun," a soft voice said.

The ninja in question started, already feeling his face heat up. "Y- Yes, Tsunami-chan?"

Beside his mother, Inari scowled slightly at her, but said nothing.

Tsunami only smiled softly, like she always did, and asked, "You were saying...? Something about the defensive fortifications? You... well, you trailed off. Are you all right? Is something bothering you?"

The vast majority of Itachi wanted to scream and rail that, _yes_, something was very wrong with him, that something- her- was bothering him very much.

But he couldn't bring himself to wipe that smile off her face.

"N- No, Tsunami-chan. I... I was merely distracted. My apologies. The... the wall should stretch from-"

As he continued to explain, he never noticed that several of the onlookers, notably excluding Inari, shared a chuckle at his expense with how easily the carpenter's daughter had flustered the powerful ninja.

For her part, Tsunami smiled inwardly. _Even if I know it's not really proper, it's nice to know I've still got it!_

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto screamed, "Where the hell are they? How can these ninja not know about a base a terrorist ninja cell has in _their own country_?"

Next to him, Ino cried, her hands in a now-familiar shape to Temari, "Shinranshin no Jutsu!"  
Unlike the interrogation jutsu Ino had primarily used only days before, Temari knew that this one would not make Ino's body vulnerable. In fact, in some ways it had the opposite effect. She was still in control of herself, but as long as only her concentration was divided, she could control the target as well, effectively giving her a person to actively defend herself if needed.

However, as she'd seen far more commonly, the jutsu was far more powerful, if riskier, than the former... at least, to the target. Ino had been using it essentially to force them to reveal the information. She could dig through their deepest thoughts and memories, no matter how much they guarded that information outside of their minds.

At least, that's what it seemed like. Unfortunately, that seemed to come at the cost of the target's sanity afterward... or maybe that was Ino 'unleashing the beast' as Temari had come to call it to herself.

What else could it be? Before Ishi, she'd gotten a chance to know Naruto, Sakura, and Ino, if only for a short while.

And yet, ever since then, they'd been... worse. More violent. Bloodthirsty, even. They still seemed to carry some sort of affection for each other, because while they'd glared at her, they never did at themselves.

Sometimes, Temari wondered why she was still there, too. More than just wondering why she had faith that these were _not_ the real people she could almost have called friends. More than questioning how they'd allowed themselves to fall to this... this _madness_ so easily.

Sometimes, over the last four days since they'd crossed into Tsuchi no Kuni, Temari wondered why they hadn't just killed her for trying to coax them into moderation, rather than ruthlessly slaughtering the dozens of Iwa ninja they'd seen since then.  
She was sure the thought had crossed at least Naruto's mind, given the way he'd turned those red eyes- they were always red, now- on her just that morning.

And all she'd done was gone out into the woods to pee. He'd been a hair's breadth from killing her for slowing them down just that much.

Behind her, Sakura spoke, making Temari jump. She hadn't been aware the dangerous medic was so close. _Damn, I hate treating allies like enemies... I shouldn't _have_ to watch my back with them around! Still, at least it's really carrying home the idea that real alliances are more valuable than dad ever thought. Kami, I hope they get back to normal, and soon. I don't know how much longer I'm gonna survive this._

"Second thoughts, Temari-chan? You didn't seem to hesitate to kill back in Ishi. Are Suna shinobi really so soft?"

_Kuso... am I really gonna die? If I back down, they're gonna be all over me right now, thinking I'm weak. If I stand up to them, they'll challenge me for showing dominance, and I'm dead anyway. Damn it! _"I- no, Sakura-san, they aren't. Are Ootori shinobi always so brutal? I thought you guys were..." _Hell... in for a ryo, in for a million, I guess..._ "I don't know, merciful? Kind? Right now, I'd settle for _practical_. What's the point in killing these guys? They don't know anything. If anyone in Iwa knows, it's the leadership. We should quit wasting our time. So what's the point of this?"

In a moment, all three of them were standing around her, hands on weapons. _Four,_ she corrected, as the Iwa ninja, doubtless controlled by Ino, rose to stand next to them, between Sakura and Ino at her back.  
Naruto, of course, was standing right in front of her, far inside her current comfort zone (which, if she were honest, was several hundred feet- at least), and leaning in so that he breathed down her neck, almost literally. "What _point_," he whispered, "do I need to kill my enemies, the enemies of my father? Iwa ninja have been our enemies since Konoha was founded. I don't need a reason to kill, to kill any of them!"

Temari sighed, knowing it was too late for her. Still, she had a duty to fulfill, or die trying. "So Ootori doesn't make it's ninja take oaths to protect their people, to follow the tenets of the Village? Or does your Village not have laws against senseless death, like Konoha had? Maybe this alliance you proposed really _isn't_ in Suna's best interests, if that's the case."

Ino and Sakura, as one, hissed in anger. Naruto's teeth pulled back, revealing his overly-large incisors. "Well, I can't let you get back to Suna and tell them we're coming for them next then, can I, Temari-_chan_?"

However, before any of the four of them made a move to attack Temari, before she could even begin to defend herself, Naruto was screaming, stepping back several times, shaking his head with eyes clenched shut. "No, No, _No, No, NO!_ That's _not_ what I want! Damn you, Kyuubi! Those are _not_ my words, not _my_ thoughts! You think just 'cause you won a little victory with a trick, I'm _ever_ going to give in to you?"

Temari was surprised to see herself ignored. The body behind her slumped to the ground, apparently released from Ino's jutsu, while both kunoichi moved in a blur to flank Naruto.  
Should she flee while she could? Get ready to defend herself? Or...  
"What the hell?" she whispered, more to herself than the universe at large.

Because Ino and Sakura were both cozying up to Naruto, and they were _purring_. "Naruto-kun," they said, in eerie synchronization, "don't you want us to be happy? We only want you to be happy, Naruto-kun. These people tried to kill your father, remember? They tried to kill _us_, Naruto-kun. They're killing Gaara and Yugito, your friends... remember, Naruto? We should stop them, right?"

Temari's eyes widened. It was doubtless them speaking; she could see their mouths move. But the words didn't sound either like Ino's relaxed, cheerful speech, or Sakura's more formal, carefully-chosen words. In fact, if she had to venture a guess...

"Damn it, you stupid Fox! Leave them alone!"

She was surprised to hear the words from her own mouth. Did she have a death-wish or something?

But her words had a startling effect.

Both of the kunoichi hissed at her again, though they didn't leave Naruto's side. Temari flinched back at the rage and hate in their normally-gentle eyes.

Naruto, though, jerked and flinched back from both women. "No... No. I'm... I'm not letting you have me, Kyuubi, and that's it. I told you before... you hurt them even a little, and I'm totally cutting you off. Have fun rotting in your new cage for eternity, you little _bitch_."

Naruto shuddered once, twice, and then stood up tall, gently pushing the girls away with a hand on each shoulder.  
"Tema-chan," he said calmly, looking her in the eye, "I'm going to need your help. They aren't used to controlling it's influence... and they're going to fight back while I do this. Back me up?"

Thirty seconds before, Temari would have rather fled into the mountains for her life. However...

Naruto's eyes were blue.

"Yes, Naruto... close or long range?"

"Naruto-kun," both girls said again, "Are you really going to hurt us? We only want what's best for you, Naruto-kun... we _love_ you..."

Temari wasn't nearly as hurt by the awful, horrid way they'd twisted that wonderful word as Naruto was, but she could see his resolve held strong. "Close... Sorry, I know it's not your thing, but I'll be almost defenseless for a few seconds."

This time, the two kunoichi hissed at him, moments before they launched themselves towards him, all four hands extended into blood-red claws.

After that, Temari had no more time for thinking.

**A/N2:** Not much to be said again. Sorry once more about the delay, hope you enjoy. Don't forget to _review_, people, and thank my Beta, Mouse, for his awesome work. ;)

**Glossary:**

**Nagashi-san**: Not important. He's the grocery store owner. As it's the only one in town currently, everyone knows who he is. There will likely be a small Omake-type scene (though it'll be canon) in the store later, but it's not integral to the plot at all, just for entertainment... and that's if I remember to put him in. You'll get a description then, but for now, assume middle-aged shopkeeper, male.


	38. Chapter 38: Lessons from the Past

**A/N:** Sincere apologies for the lack of updates- it's been a month, and I have a good reason- I've been working (hard) for a month. I'm very grateful to have a job, especially a part-time that (in theory...) pays my bills. However, it's physically MUCH more demanding than I'm used to, and frankly, I just haven't had the energy to sit up and write for the last few weeks. However... I did this same thing last year (it's a temporary job), and I got used to it fairly quickly. Hopefully I'll be able to get at least back to a bi-weekly update schedule, or better, a weekly as I had been doing- and caught up, too.

I have some story-related A/N to do, but it's gonna have to wait till after, since there are chapter spoilers. :)

Enjoy!

**Chap. 38 Lessons from the Past**

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if the seals he'd (barely) been able to lift from Sakura and Ino's weapon pouches would work, but was very grateful they had. They, like the small seal inside of him that, for the most part, kept the Kyuubi at bay, only had one kanji written on them, 'seal'.

However, his many years under the tutelage of Jiraiya had taught him much. While he was no seal-master like his father had been, Naruto could safely say (at least, he had been told as much by the aforementioned Sannin, so it may require a pinch of salt) that he was roughly on the level of his old sensei's old master, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Which is to say, pretty damned good with seals... just not in the top .01%.

That education had led him to be _almost_ sure that the seals would at least function in a similar fashion to their intended purpose.

Of course, Naruto hadn't even known they would have them. He hadn't been told that the two girls and Sasuke had ever even been _given_ the slips of paper by Jiraiya before they'd left on their mission to Kaminari no Kuni. It had taken Sasuke agreeing with his half-sincere request to see the seal, and an entire night's research and analysis, to figure out what they were for.

At first, when he'd figured it out, he'd been angry. Hurt, even.

Then rationality set in, and Naruto was, instead, grateful once more for his father-figure's insight and ability to plan ahead. Because the seals would, should they become necessary, save countless lives.  
If the Fox had ever gained real, total control, or even temporary control, simply placing them on his head would, in conjunction with his mother-figures' crystal necklace and his own Uzumaki blood, immediately siphon off the malevolent chakra of the Tailed Beast, rendering him effectively powerless until it, and he, were able to recover naturally.

Sakura and Ino didn't have Uzumaki blood _or_ a unique crystalline jewel to help protect them, but then again, they didn't have the source of the Fox's chakra inside them, either. Once the seals had been placed (and Naruto vowed to thank Temari for a fifth time for her help in distracting the girls long enough to lift the seals and then place them), the two kunoich had immeidately attempted to rip them off, but the Kyuubi's influence and chakra faded quickly enough that before their limbs had reached the papers, they had collapsed to the forest floor, all-but unconscious.

That had been two days ago.

Still, despite the rational part of Naruto's mind knowing that it was too late for Gaara, Naruto was feeling much better about their whole situation simply because Ino and Sakura were showing signs of waking.

"Hey, Temari... thanks again for your help the other day."

The tall blonde grunted as she walked into the small cave, squinting in the darkness, just as he was against the light outside. "How many times are you gonna thank me for that? I just did what I had to do," the finally said as she deposited several kunai-speared and already cleaned fish in the collapsible pot she carried, followed closely by a few herbs, some pepper, and her entire canteen of water.

As she set it on their small fire, Naruto shrugged, glancing over at his girls as he did, "As many times as I can. I couldn't have done that without your help, not without really hurting them."

As she had every other time he'd expressed his gratitude, Temari blushed and turned away.

But by the time the fish were done and the sun was setting, the two hadn't yet woken. Ino seemed to have settled into a restless slumber, since she was mumbling to herself. That she was often using the words 'mother' and 'baby' made Naruto a little uncomfortable, since he was reasonably sure she was talking about, well, herself and Naruto's possible future children.

Sakura, however, had taken a more restful position, one he recognized as her usual sleeping pose, curled up on her side- whichever side was facing him.

That thought brought a soft grin to his whiskered face.

"_I swear, brat, it's all true. Every damned day for the first two months you were gone, all Shizune and I had to do to figure out where you were was find the closest village in the direction she faced as she slept."_

_Naruto snorted. Tsunade was not prone to hyperbole, but that story was a bit far-fetched. Sakura wasn't some psychic, who could read minds and tell where people were when they were far off. She was... _Sakura_. Powerful, sure. Smart, definitely. Cute... well... his seventeen-year-old self was more than ready to admit that, but still... how could he tell her, show her, when he could barely admit it to Jiraiya? Had only admitted it to himself a few months before their return?  
"Come on, Kaa-chan, get real. Nobody believes stuff like that in this day and age! Next, you'll be telling me we're 'made for each other'. That we've been-" Here, he blushed uncontrollably at the idea, but forged on anyway, hoping that, late as it was, Tsunade was too far into her drink to remember the conversation anyway- " 'soul-mates' since birth or something, that we're made for each other."_

_The older woman smiled wistfully into her sake saucer for a few minutes in silence, then glanced out the dark window, her face turning redder all the while to match his own. _

_As it did, Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You didn't... tell me you haven't been thinking something so... so silly this whole time."_

_At once, her chocolate eyes were riveted on his in a powerful glare. She hissed, "Don't you _ever_ think the idea of 'soul-mates' and 'true love' is _silly_, brat! You should be so lucky as to have Sakura really fall for you!"_

_He back-pedalled as well as he could while sitting at the cabin's kitchen table and whispered, "No, no! That' s not- I didn't mean it like- uh... no... I... I like Sakura. A _lot_. I know... I know anyone would be lucky to be with her. It's just... true love's fine. But destiny? I don't buy it. There's no such thing as destiny, or fate, or any of that crap. I make my _own_ fate."_

In later years, Naruto would be amazed at the first, and probably only, time he would ever 'win' an argument with Tsunade, because she had not been able to deny that point. Still, she had gone on (and this is how Naruto _knew_ she was drunk, rather than just faking it as she had done so often when he and Sakura had been children) about how she just hoped that the two would end up together, and wasn't it just so romantic? Both orphans, raised by the same people, but separated for ten years, only to be reunited, and then to find love with each other...

As Tsunade had continued to wax poetic, Naruto was very glad he'd elected to nurse just one saucer, because he could distinctly hear the scratching of a certain pen a floor above them. Doubtless, Jiraiya would be using similar lines in the next installment... unless he convinced Naruto to write that one, too. There was no way _he_ would use such sappy lines. Not even Sakura could convince him of that!

(O)(O)(O)

In a nondescript apartment in the former capitol (and still largest city) of Hi no Kuni, a tanned, scarred man frowned, tossed a half-smoked cigarette out the open third-story window (and promptly ignored the man below whining about the ash and singes in his hair). "So they're absolutely insisting we trust them anyway? Man... why can't things ever be easy?"

"_Damn it, why won't you _listen to me_? I don't even know where this... this stubborn insolence comes from! Your mother was so well behaved! How can you abandon us, abandon everything you've learned, and worse, take all the things you know to play hero rather than _being_ a hero? Have we taught you nothing? Were we too lenient? Too strict? I don't understand this at all!"_

_In his arrogance, the younger of the two men- both ninja- scowled at the older, believing, as most of the younger generation do, that the older can't possibly have any idea what it's like to be them, to live their lives, to walk their shoes. "Stuff it, old man! I made my decision, and you can't stop me. You haven't got the stones _or_ the skill anymore. I don't think even Minato could stop me! But I can't stay here any more, I need to go. I'm already late. I'll see you around, old man!"_

_And just like that, ignoring his indignant father's calls to see reason, to return, or at the very least to write, he'd gone. For twelve years, he hadn't returned, hadn't sent a reply to any of the many (he still kept them all) letters he'd gotten since- all two of them, one each from his father, and one from his brother. At the time, he had ignored both, though he'd eventually replied to Konohamaru's letter with an invitation to visit._

_That, of course, had led to disaster... or averted it, depending on how you looked at it. Because no sooner had his brother, along with his wife, arrived than news had come that Konoha was under attack by an unknown, but extremely dangerous force._

_The next messenger, barely a day later, had relayed his information while Asuma had been pleading to be released from the Guardians to go to Konoha's aid._

_The message had been simple- Sarutobi Hiruzen was dead. Konohagakure was all-but destroyed, it's civilian population decimated, it's ninja forces scattered._

_Doubtless people would return in time, because reports filtered in over the next few days that said both of his father's non-traitorous students had survived. The Will of Fire lived on in him, if nowhere else._

_Only they hadn't. Before people could start rebuilding from the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack, they had been overwhelmed by army after army. Even the Capitol had been beseiged within days, and despite the efforts of all twelve of the Guardians, the Daimyo had been killed along with most of his family two weeks after Konoha had fallen. Only luck- and, if he were honest, no inconsiderable amount of skill- had allowed Asuma, Zenzi, and Fuudo to spirit away Zankako and Tenna, and not before he'd had to witness the aftermath and more than he'd desired of the deed involve the gang-rape of the older Yoshiyuki._

_Zenzi had died days later, killed by an Oto hunter-killer team, having stayed behind to allow the Daimyo's family members to escape. Fuudo had simply gone missing on a recon mission. Rumor had it he'd been killed by one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Asuma privately believed it, no matter how far-fetched it sounded, because despite his dislike of the Aburame, it would have taken a ninja of the Swordsmen's caliber to bring him down, especially to utterly erase any trace of his body. Not even a single insect had ever been found._

_And then Konohamaru had been born, days before his brother had been mugged and killed by bandits. His mother lasted long enough to ween the young boy before hanging herself. It had been Tenna who'd found his sister-in-law._

_That had been the first night she'd allowed him to touch her, allowed any man to get close to her._

_It was also the first and last time he'd seen her cry, because she and Lina had formed a fast friendship. Lina had kept her mostly sane after what she'd been through when the Palace was lost. Asuma had his first real lesson in humility in those days, knowing that he would never have been able to help the shattered woman._

_It was a testament to his sister-in-law's own strength that Tenna had allowed herself to find love again, just as it was a testament to his own stubborn nature that he'd fought that love for six years before giving in, while she continued to heal from her emotional wounds._

"I think I get it now, old man," the man muttered, turning away from the kunoichi who'd delivered the news.

"Asuma?" she questioned, but said nothing else. Instead, she stepped into the room and shut the door quietly before coming to stand beside him at the window.

He was silent for several minutes before he answered, "I'll have to go. Even if the old hag told us to stay away, we can't just abandon Konoha. I've done that once before when they really needed me, and I'm... I'm not doing it again. I can't fail again. I can't... I can't speak for everyone, though."

The kunoichi smiled sadly, leaned up on her toes to kiss his stubbly cheek, and whispered, "You do, though. There's nothing for us here, there hasn't been for eighteen years. My father told me to flee into the wilds that night, remember? To protect the line? I can't do that any more, but Zankako can. Konohamaru can carry on your line... or you could find another woman."

Asuma snorted, offering a lopsided smile as he pulled her closer, "Screw that. Raising two brats was plenty. I'm cool with not having any of them myself. You're all I need if that's the case."

The door slammed open before Tenna could reply. "Yeah, well, fuck you, old man! Who needs _you_? I'll go to this Ootori place just to spite ya!"

Asuma didn't need to turn to know that, behind his fifteen-year-old nephew was Tenna's nephew as well, standing silently as she often did, watching everything, just as Fuudo had taught her. "Yo, Kono, Zan. You two up for the trip?"

Konohamaru immediately froze mid-gesture and pulled his hand back to glare at his uncle, "What the hell? I thought you said we weren't going?"

Tenna snorted right alongside her lover, "Fooled ya?"

Zankako rolled her eyes at Konohamaru's indignant rant, but otherwise didn't allow herself to react aside from stating quite calmly that she'd get her things packed immediately.

Asuma was strangely quiet for the rest of the day, so much so that Tenna was actually getting a bit worried about the Sarutobi.

However, the half-regretful half-proud smile on his face as he fell asleep beside her reassured her, almost as much as his whispered, "I get it now, gramps."

(O)(O)(O)

Sasuke thought he must be cursed. No sooner had he resolved to avoid his fiancée- so she would only have to fake affection for him rarely- than Itachi informed him that despite the younger brother's earlier betrothal, the older would be the first married, by a long six days.

That, by itself, wouldn't have affected Sasuke much. But the results of that announcement, once he'd told their largely-estranged parents (and what words more accurately defined his and his parents' relationship? They'd thought him dead, he'd thought them, as his brother had once said, traitors. And now they were once again allies, but Itachi had made it clear he wanted as little to do with their whole Clan- barring a few, like Oibito- as possible. Naturally, Sasuke had followed suite), more than doubled the number of errands Sasuke had to run on a daily basis.

There were fittings, messages run back and forth, color approvals, tastings, flavor arrangements to check and sign off on, and on, and... well, he was spending a _lot_ of time around Hinata, lately.

And to her credit, the young woman was indeed the perfect fiancée in public. In the rare few moments they were alone, though, she made it immanently clear that her displeasure with him continued.

There was never anything truly overt, it was all relatively small gestures like jerking her hand violently out of his light grasp, sliding an inch or twenty down the bench away from him, or otherwise expressing general loathing for the young man's continued existence.

They were at the site Itachi and Tsunami (or more accurately, Mikoto, Itachi's mother, and Tazuna) had chosen for the older couple's wedding, and had just finished laying out the general plan for those who would be taking part in the ceremony itself.

Hi no Kuni had always favored a fairly simple style of wedding, but one that was steeped in ancient traditions as well, where every small, almost microscopic, movement had meaning and import. Of course, that only meant that everything had to be _perfect_. There wouldn't be just one rehearsal... but at least ten.

And of course, since they were getting married next week, and he was Itachi's brother, Sasuke would have to attend... and therefore, Hinata would be attending as his date.

The worst part was, Sasuke thought, that barring that one simple misunderstanding, he and Hinata would doubtless get along pretty well. They wanted the same things... an at least caring, if not loving, family. Children (though Sasuke shuddered at the thought of diapers, he would not let his brother beat him in that regard- he'd raised Sasuke himself from an infant alone, and the younger sibling would have to do the same- and convince Hinata to pop out more heirs, too, while he was at it), security, peace, happiness... the same things they'd have (probably) had if Konoha had never fallen.

But, for the moment, he could pretend his life wasn't falling to pieces, right?

After all, there were still others around. Itachi and Tsunami, the former _still_ blushing whenever she took his hand. Tazuna, Mikoto, and Fugaku all stood some distance away on the opposite side of the clearing were Konoha's memorial Cenotaph had once stood. Several others, including an aged priest from the former Temple of Fire, talked in groups both large and small around the area, so, as usual, Hinata was the perfect woman.

Graceful, kind, loving, supportive.

So what if, when they were gone, she would jerk away once more, stare at him coldly, and then stalk off without a word?  
For now, he could pretend she actually cared. That the warmth bleeding from her small, soft hands into his was genuine, that she wasn't actually attempting to crush his fingers.  
That the loving smile she was gracing him with was real, genuine, and not something that made him think, just for a moment, that instead of teeth she had a mouth full of razor-sharp daggers.

That instead of wanting to get him alone for a little 'private time', or even just talking, she seemed to want everyone to leave them alone so she could sink those blades into his throat and drink his very life-blood...

Sasuke shuddered. It wasn't _crazy_ of him to almost think that was kind of, in a strange sort of way... _hot_, right? I mean... he wasn't interested in blood-drinking, of course not. He was no emo.

But to get to that point, she'd have to kiss his neck, first, right? And for that she'd have to be very close, practically pressing herself against him...

"Behave yourself, _Sasuke-kun_!" Hinata hissed under her breath.

He jumped, looked over at her, and felt an uncomfortable tightness in his trousers.

_Oh, Kami, no... no no NO NO NO! Not _that_!_

But it surely was. He was sporting a partial erection, and in the unseasonably warm weather, the bulge was quite noticeable. Of course, _her_ eyes missed nothing, it seemed, especially not a fault of his- whether it was his fault or not.

But her anger at his 'reaction' did not help, where it might have for many, because, rather unfortunately (at least at that moment), Sasuke thought Hinata was even prettier when she was fuming.

"I swear to Kami, _Sasuke-kun_, if you don't _control yourself_, and stop staring lustfully at other women while we are _planning our wedding_, I will castrate you the moment I find out I'm pregnant with an heir!"

Unfortunately for them both, Hinata, like Sasuke, was apparently rapidly approaching her limit. The quiet hiss before had gone, replaced by a low growl, which increased in pitch and volume until just above average. That, for Hinata, may as well have been a full-on yell. It certainly attracted the attention of several people, including both of their fathers and Itachi, though she didn't seem to notice.

"I- I _wasn't_ staring at-"

Then Sasuke's eyes focused at the spot he had, most certainly, been staring off into the distance toward. Tsunami, his brother's (admittedly beautiful, for an older woman) betrothed. But she hadn't caused that reaction... didn't Hinata get it? Were her all-seeing eyes so easily confused? How could she _not_ see that it was _her_ that caused the reaction? Or did the thought of being with him, when he was such a... a... a _pervert_ disgust her so much? Was that the true cause of her disgust?

"That's it," she suddenly said coldly, pulling away, "the wedding's off. Stay away from me."

It wasn't just a few people watching them, now, Sasuke noted, but like Hinata, his limit had just been reached. "_No_," he replied forcefully, grabbing- not gently- her upper arm before she could escape his reach. Immediately, the Uchiha noted one of the Hyuuga Elder twins, and Hinata's cousin, start heading their way, murder in their eyes. However, the other twin stopped them both with a quiet word that Sasuke couldn't hear past the pounding in his ears. "No, I think we're going to discuss this rationally, like adults. And unlike every _other_ time we've 'talked', I'm going to say _my_ piece, damn it!"

The subtle dig- while perfectly true, as far as it went- incensed Hinata further. Without a coherent reply, his only warning the hiss of a cornered viper, the heiress' open palm slapped across his cheek hard enough to whip him completely in a circle.

Through the spinning in his head, Sasuke noted to himself, _Ninja or not, she's definitely had chakra-training. That was some hit._

Much to (most) of the crowd's secret delight, though, Sasuke had not been trained by Itachi to be weak. He reacted purely on instinct. When he stood up again a half-heartbeat later, his eyes were blazing red, three tomoe- one more, he would later learn, in his right eye than he'd had before this fight- whirled in each.

Hinata was, again despite being a 'civilian', still the first heiress of a very powerful and wealthy family. She had been trained to defend herself, and came from a proud line of strong warriors. She put up a very good fight, and her father, who often considered her too weak to be a skilled fighter (which is why he had chosen to have her focus on courtly and ettiquette skills rather than becoming a ninja like her younger sister and cousin were doing), was quietly impressed.

However, Sasuke was nothing close to being a slouch himself. In fact, Fugaku learned a very valuable lesson that day by watching the ensuing fight- that Itachi was indeed far stronger, and a better teacher, than himself- and he'd passed at least one of those traits on to the younger son.

The entire fight was a blur of motion that only the more experienced ninja caught, and Hinata would never be able to recall clearly later, which lasted a total of seven seconds.

By the time it stopped, Hinata had Sasuke's wrist in her mouth and was biting down _hard_, while the other half of his body was hanging limply, many of the muscles and tendons pulverized by Hinata's largely-untrained but still potent Jyuuken strikes.  
However, despite those handicaps, the Sharingan had carried the day, because Hinata had been paralyzed by one single well-placed strike to her solar plexus.

Sasuke, ignoring his own pain for the moment, felt terribly guilty he'd just hit his wife, even though she'd hit him several times before he'd been pushed that far. He didn't want her to pass out, though, so he'd have to distract her from the pain... but how?

As Hinata's cousin pushed past her father and uncle to either rescue her or destroy Sasuke (likely both, given his current condition), the Uchiha made a desperate decision.

He pulled his bleeding hand from her mouth, and ignoring his blood dripping from her snarling lips, leaned in to kiss her.

It worked, of course. The shock of the action immediately made her forget that she was having difficulty breathing, causing said breathing to resume instinctively.

On the other hand, perhaps he shouldn't have tried to slip her the tongue... because she almost bit it off.

When he'd finally wrested his bleeding and swollen appendage from between Hinata's teeth, he roared, "Damn it, woman! What the hell is _wrong_ with you? I'm trying to tell you I don't hate you! I never did! Will you just shut up and _listen_, for once?"

Hinata's cousin- _Neji? _-stopped mid-step a few paces away in surprise.

Did this... this Uchiha cur really just refer to Hinata-sama as 'woman'? And... and did he really just tell her to shut up?

That was it... the Uchiha had to die. Every last one.

But before Neji could put his new plan into action, Hinata surprised him further still. "_You_ shut up! I know all about your type! You act nice in front of the girl's father, make them both think you're a great, shy guy who'd never do anything to hurt 'his little princess', and then, as soon as she starts to think she might have _some_ hint at real romance in a world of political arrangements, you dump her for every floozy that walks by your path!"

The cautious, nervous onlookers fell even more silent at this declaration.

One, however, who looked suspiciously like- but was not- Hinata's father turned a little red. Maybe letting her read all of his wife's romance novels had not been a good idea after all?

But Sasuke, more amazingly still, had his defense ready to launch before she'd even finished speaking. "I'm not Date Irobe, Hinata! I'm Uchiha Sasuke! That's just a _story_! I'm _real_, I'm _right in front of you_, and... and... _fuck_, Hinata! I was raised by _him_," he pointed at his brother angrily, "in a _cave_! I'm sorry I don't know how to deal with someone as gorgeous as you, but I _don't_. Damn it all, I didn't turn away because I hated you, I turned away because I didn't want to embarrass _either of us_ with what you- you _do_ to me!"

As Sasuke froze mid-rant, mid-breath, even, the crowd finally noticed what had started this argument in the first place- because Hinata's proximity (and possibly, just maybe, his blood in her mouth- but he wasn't emo, damn it) and anger had caused his 'reaction' to get worse, not better.

There were several snickers.

More than a few chuckles.

Quite a lot of laughter.

In fact, in the entire park, only three people didn't at least sport a smile- and that included the ancient monk.

Itachi. And honestly, aside from Tsunami, what got _him_ to smile, anyway?

Sasuke himself. But who could blame him? He was sporting a very visible erection while having a public argument with his fiancée. Doubtless, this story would be told at bars for generations. He could only hope the 'embellishments' were... favorable to him.

And Hinata.

A few short minutes ago, she would probably have been the first to laugh at his discomfort, embarrassment, frustration, and pain.

But her Byakugan had, due to their fight, been active, and she had _seen_ the truth of his words.

Had she really been so blind?

Had this all been her fault, her misreading his reaction and jumping to the wrong conclusion because of it?

Hinata turned to Neji, just a few feet away, but his eyes when they met hers were just as confused, just as lost.

Uncle Hizashi was backing away, averting his eyes from everyone and red in the face. _The books_, she thought. Maybe not _all_ the blame lay with her.

Her father, like Neji, looked practically paralyzed. His face showed more honest expression that she could remember in her entire life, and apparently all packed into this one moment. But there was no help there.

She had one more hope, one last, desperate gamble for input...

Beside her father and a step back was a young teenage girl with dark brown hair and the same white eyes as their father. The younger sister's mouth was moving, and with Byakugan active, it was a very simple matter to read her lips.

"Kiss him, you idiot!"

_Damn it,_ she thought, _what have I gotten myself into _now_?_

But she did it.

It took only a moment for Sasuke to ignore- definitely not revel in, because only emos do that, and he was not an emo- the blood in her mouth, instead focusing in the sweetness of her lips beyond that, how soft they were... how her hands tightly gripped his- "What the hell?"

After he jerked back, Hinata whispered, "Sorry, Sasuke-kun... I might be a bit naughty. Do you think the priest will forgive me?"

Sasuke blushed even deeper.

A moment later, before the scandalized (read: gossip-happy) crowd could truly begin their fervent analysis of the last several minutes, Sasuke had ignored Neji, winked at his brother- just once- and scooped up Hinata bridal-style before vanishing over the treetops at a pace none of the attendees (save, perhaps, his brother, who he hoped would instead be running interference) could match with his girl, who had just started giggling. "Sasuke-kun," she asked between giggles (and he loved the way it sounded when she said his name like _that_), "how long have you been reading Icha-Icha?"

Sasuke smiled; he could never, _ever_ tell. Itachi would kill him if he let their mutual secret slip!

**A/N2:** So... You like the Sasuke/Hinata? This scene has been, for me, the climax of their particular plot... though we'll see more, for them as a couple (and for Hinata as a character) this is about it. Sasuke still has more growth and action to go through, though, as one of the main four characters.

What about the introduction of THREE characters, two of whom are fan-favorites? I know I, for one, really like both Asuma and Konohamaru- and I like this verison of them quite a lot, too. Expect more in future, because it won't be long before they reach Ootori.

And of course, 'the main group' right now... yes, I skipped over (or glossed over) the combat. I _may_ be covering it in a flashback, but I don't see it as a particularly important scene anyway- the important part is what's going on while the girls are asleep, both in their heads and outside in the real world. The spoiler part I mentioned in the first AN: I had originally intended to go back to them at the end of this chapter (with Sakura waking up and starting to talk to Naruto about his mother), but I think I'm going to actually save that for next chapter. There's two reasons: This is getting a bit long (8 pages is more than I usually do by about 3), and it'll let me move _up_ a major relationship plot-point... as in, something major for _the_ main relationship- the NaruSakuIno one. An event that was going to come at the end of this arc (or early in the third and final) will happen next chapter or the one after, instead, several chapters early.

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

**Glossary:**

Something that could possibly have fit in the previous few chapters, but doesn't really deserve it's own entry:

**Kyuubi Chakra:** For those who've seen it, think back to the Sora/Fire Temple filler arc in the anime. The stuff affecting the girls is basically like what Sora had- it is in fact the Kyuubi's chakra. But while Sora had some of it placed in him from _after_ the Fox got sealed, the girls had it directly from the Fox itself- untainted, undiluted, unfaded. They're both more and less powerful because of it, and it's influence is greater on them because of that as well.

_**SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER BELOW!**_

… for those that haven't guessed, yes, they will be able to use the Fox's chakra, much like Sora did, though they do _not_ have a self-regenerating supply of it like Naruto does (or like Sora apparently did). Once it's gone, it's gone. Otherwise, it functions almost identically to how Sora's does.

One thing of note, though- it influences them differently. The Fox doesn't give half a damn about the girls, it only wants to use them to get to Naruto. So, because it is aware of the relationship between the three, it sought to seduce him using their bodies- not because it wants to. This isn't a Fem!Kyuubi/Naruto story by any means. In this fic, Kyuubi is an 'it', a demonic entity of chakra and malevolent sentience. "Kurama" is all well and good for canon (though I think _most_ of the Bijuu's names are a bit silly, the one most ragged on- Son Goku- is actually a famous historical/legendary figure in Japanese history, so I like it), but this Kyuubi is _evil_. No ifs, ands, or buts.

… though it's butt does have nine tails to make it unique.

That is all.


	39. Chapter 39: Effects and Countereffects

**A/N:** Again, apologies that it's a bit late... I had a major case of writer's block. I was able to force my way through eventually, however, so it's only half a day late instead of a full or a week. Yay!

Now- I've had a few reviews lately (last chapter for all, I believe) that pointed out something, and it's a big enough issue that I'm afraid I have to make a public apology here too.  
I never meant to skip so much action, really. So, sorry. The first few times, it was to put it off so I could do an entirely-action chapter (or two, actually)... but when I got to that point in those chapters, they seemed to get skipped to. I'm not really sure why, but I think it was starting to become habit by then- no better explanation than that, I'm afraid. At least not that I have right now.

However, I think that has been (partially) remedied with this chapter. It's not a heavy-action scene, but there _is_ action- and it's one of the intended flashbacks to cover something that got missed before, too. Again, it's not the 'whole thing' (because I believe action is good, but should not rule a story in and of itself- it should be a tool to convey the story, not the story itself), but enough to get the point across when taken with the parts written earlier in the chapter and in the previous.

So... I've blathered on enough, I think.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 39 Effects and Counter-effects**

"Na- Naruto?"

The blonde young man was at Sakura's side at once, kneeling at the edge of her bedroll. "Sakura? How're you feeling?"

"Uh... surprisingly achy? What- what happened? Were we ambushed? The last thing I remember was... was... where are we?"

Naruto blinked, then shared a quick, apprehensive look with Temari across the shallow cave. "We're... about half-way between the south border of Tsuchi and Iwagakure. Not sure exactly, but up in the deep mountains. Uh... what's the last thing you remember?"

The green eyes widened. "Up... how long have I been out?"

Naruto shrugged, dropping back onto his haunches now that he knew she was just aching, not actually suffering the more powerful side-effects of the Fox's chakra he'd had to get used to over the years. "Two days. So... last thing you remember?"

Sakura lifted her torso and rested on her elbows, looking around at the stone walls and orange sunset outside before answering, "You two carried me and the Pig half-way across Tsuchi in two days?"

Naruto shook his head, "No. Even 'Bunta wouldn't be able to do that easy, not in this terrain. You... really, what's the last thing you remember?"

Annoyed, if anything, at how Naruto seemed stuck on that one question, Sakura glared up at him lightly, frowning. "Going in to Mind-Walk you with Ino. I had some crazy dreams, but..."

She was interrupted by Temari's groan and Naruto's sigh. "Yeah... that was eleven days ago. You... you don't remember anything since then, huh?"

The medic shook her head, grimaced, and sat up before putting her hands on either temple and rubbing. "There's... bits and pieces, flashes. A few fights... I remember... remember yelling at Temari, and you, and... and I remember a red-haired woman. She's very clear, and she's... she's talking to me, but I can't hear what she's saying. She's smiling, though."

Naruto froze. "A- a woman? What... what did she look like?"

It couldn't be that easy, could it?

Sakura shrugged, frowning as she stared at her now-crossed legs. "I... it's hard to describe. She was pretty, with violent red hair, almost scarlet, with bright blue eyes... your eyes."

"My... my eyes?" Naruto had barely even whispered. If he'd been any further than the two or so feet from Sakura he was, she wouldn't have heard him.

"Yeah... she... I think she was your mother."

He gulped. "I remember... I remember, in my head, you and Ino telling me you met her. Then the Mind Walk ended, and... and all I could do was cry, because she was supposed to meet me, to teach me... but she had to save you two, and... but I was happy, because you were still alive. I wanted to meet my mom, but... but I had my girls, still."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah... I think I remember that, too. I... I'm sorry, Naruto. About... well, that you didn't get to meet her."

Naruto shrugged, "It doesn't matter. You matter, Ino matters. I'll get to see her again when I kick off anyway. What's another eighty years?"

Temari shook her head, "I... I don't mean to interrupt, but there's signs that an Iwa patrol is in the area again. Do you want me to go make sure? Maybe head them off? Or... or should we just hunker down? I mean... this is kind of not my business, but I'm having a hard time not overhearing..."

Naruto smiled wistfully, "'s okay, Temari-chan. You're our friend, you can stay. You don't have to be so formal... at least, I don't care. But if you're worried about a patrol, maybe we _both_ ought to go out."

The Suna kunoichi immediately shook her head, "No! No... you should stay with Sakura. I can handle a patrol, Iwa never sends out more than a couple Chunin anyway, and I'm way better than _their_ Chunin."

Sakura, watching this exchange, frowned. "Why don't you trust Naruto to go?"

The young man blinked, surprised.  
Temari, though, flushed, stammering, "Uh- I- er, it's not- but- uh..." before blurting out, "'cause he's gone crazy! The Fox influenced him, all of you, or something, and for the last few days you've all been super-violent!"

Sakura shuddered at the thought, but Naruto scowled, taking a few moments to glare at his own stomach, "We have, huh? One more thing I'm gonna make that damned furball pay for, then. Temari... I'm sorry if I've- if we've been kind of jerks, then. I... Sometimes I just can't help it. I haven't done anything in the last few days, have I?"

She shook her head, relieved she hadn't driven them off despite only telling the truth as she saw it, "No, no... it's been perfectly normal the last... well, since these two were sealed. I wonder if your own anger was feeding off theirs or something?"

They continued the debate for several minutes, before Temari remembered that she wanted to go watch for the patrol.

After assuring Naruto that she'd be fine without him, the kunoichi suggested to Sakura that Naruto tell her the story of their last fight.  
Still rather confused by it all, much less anything about being 'sealed', the rosette complied.

"Well," Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and scooting away- far away- from the medic, "we, uh... you kind of attacked me. Both of you. I... I didn't do anything!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly, but she seemed more confused than anything. "So... Temari stopped us?"

With a slight frown, Naruto shook his head.

"Come on, Naruto... if we were trying to hurt you, and you didn't do anything, but she didn't stop us... what happened?"

Naruto fidgeted.

He scooted further away, nearly to the edge of the cave.

Then he fidgeted some more.

All the while, his face was slowly growing more red.

"I..."

"Out with it, Naruto!"

He jumped, then, before he could stop himself or censor his words, blurted out, "You 'attacked' me _sexually_! Both of you! You tried to rape me!"

Sakura fell back onto her bedroll with a thump, her own face turning red to match his own. "I... we... what?"

Exhaling sharply, Naruto explained, "Well... it was the Fox. At least, I _think_ it was the Fox. When... when Ino first Mind-Walked me, she... she was naked."

Naruto looked up at Sakura, worried she'd be angry, but the medic only nodded, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Yeah, we both appeared naked too. Something about the technique, I guess. Go on."

"Well... she... when she saw the Fox in his thicket, it... it made her_ funny_."

"Naruto? Funny... how?"

He gulped. "She... promise me you won't tell her I told you?"

"Of _course_, Naruto! I wouldn't tell her your secrets!"

It was a mark of Naruto's trust in Sakura that he believed her, because Sakura, bless her devious little heart, was already thinking about how she and Ino would use this knowledge (despite that it was apparently Ino's secret) against Naruto in the future.

"Well... she was, uh... _excited_. And she... she was... uh... touching herself. Down there."

Sakura went a little more red, and for a moment debated _not_ using this information against Naruto, but Ino instead. Then the moment passed as her female vs male genetic coding took over again. "Okay... so she was masturbating in front of you, in your head. Are you sure this wasn't just a pervy fantasy or something? I mean, she _is_ really sexy."

Naruto gulped, "I, uh... I thought maybe... but she remembers it. Threatened to castrate me if... if I ever... oh _shit! _She's gonna cut my balls off!"

Sakura smiled, "Don't worry, Naruto... I like your balls right where they are! I won't tell her anything!"

Unheard by either of them, Ino mumbled in her sleep, "Cut off... Naruto..."

Mostly placated, the blonde resumed his tale, "Well... it was like that. The Fox's chakra makes... well, I think it makes women really, um... aroused. Or something. 'Cause you both came after me, and were trying to take my clothes off, with Temari right there, out in the forest... and... and you didn't seem to want to take no for an answer."

Now, Sakura was well and truly intriqued. "Go on," she said.  
With one more gulp, Naruto complied.

(O)(O)(O)

At the bottom of a gorge was a dry riverbed.

In this gorge was a very large stone, which bore a pristine paper seal.

Behind that seal was a cavern, far too large and even to be carved by natural causes.

Spread in a semi-circle around the center of the cavern, both vertically and horizontally, were several shadowy figures, the only colors of which visible were their eyes.

Against one wall, a statue several dozen feet tall, the only distinguishable features of which were nine great eyes, four closed and the other five apparently alive, as they roved around the cavern aimlessly.

The figures in the center of the room were each standing on what, at first glance, appeared to be an unevenly carved stone pillar.

However, since last time this cavern has been described, there were two significant changes. The red-haired young man who had been tossed unceremoniously to the floor (breaking a leg and arm severely) was floating in the center of the open space between the massive statue's large central eye, and the two hands. His mouth was open in what must have been a scream at one point, but the youth no longer drew breath to scream. Even a few hours ago, there had been a mass of violently pink chakra surrounding him, extracted by the ritual-jutsu the shadowy- or solid-formed ninja atop the statue's skyward-reaching fingers were performing. The chakra itself was being drawn into the statue, predominantly toward the top right eye on the right side.

However, now only wisps of the rose-colored energy were moving toward the statue now. As the jutsu ended, the body slowly began to sink to the ground. As the last remnants of Bijuu chakra left it, the corpse of the being once known as Gaara dropped to the floor of the cavern again. Another crack as well as several unpleasant grinding noises of bone-on-bone were heard, but no one reacted; not even Gaara.

His humanity, what little he had left, had been ripped from his body along with the Bijuu and it's energies, leaving only an unfeeling husk that no longer drew breath.

"Lord Madara!"

Every pair of eyes in the room moved at once to the unfamiliar voice in the cavern's entrance. The leader, now standing atop the head of the great statue, frowned. "What is it, Konpantsu?"

The Jonin-ranked shinobi shuddered. He hated that nickname... "blue underwear"? Really? But he didn't dare try to correct the legendary and immortal ninja who he worked for. No sane person would, as far as he was concerned. "My Lord... I'm sorry, I couldn't decide if it was better to interrupt or to wait for the ritual to finish. I... I have news."

"Out with it, then," the tall man said in a low voice.

The underling nodded, "Yes sir! A few days ago, I'm not sure exactly when, Ishigakure fell. Reports from Iwa say it was a sizeable contingent of unknown forces, but the Tsuchikage seems to be acting under the supposition that it's a small, more elite force. I thought, at first, that it was members of Akatsuki, or possibly some of Orochimaru's more powerful henchmen, but... they're punching a line straight from Ishi towards Iwagakure. And they're going right through several Iwa units, whoever they are."

Madara nodded, glancing at the former leader of Akatsuki for a moment. The other man nodded, Madara did a moment later. "Assemble a twenty-man team, all Jonin. Capture everyone there _alive_. Bring them here... and do not let them reach Iwa. If that old man finds out that Minato's son is still alive, it will make things more difficult for us."

Several members of the organization turned to look at their leader with surprise. As much as many of them had hated the man (or what he represented) on a personal level, there were none of them who did not respect him. But if he had a son... it changed things.

"Remember, Konpantsu, this young man is not just the Yellow Flash's son... he is the Nine-Tails' Jinchuuriki. He _must_ be captured alive. Better you all fail and die than he dies. Do you understand?"

The Jonin gulped, and nodded, "Absolutely, Uchiha-sama. We will not fail."

After the ninja had dashed off to work his master's will, Madara turned back to his upper-tier minions, each of which was a powerful force in their own right. "We will proceed with the extraction of the Nibi at a later date. Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, you three will rest until you are at full strength. We will need your unique abilities soon, but I don't believe we do immediately. Kisame, you will take Han and pay a visit to Orochimaru. Make sure that he's ready to play his part when the time comes, and ascertain whether he is aware that his is still acting as Akatsuki wants him to, member or not."

The narrow-eyed shadow with the huge sword on his back nodded, but grumbled, "How're we gonna do that? Me and Han don't do so well at the covert stuff."

Madara nodded, "I'm aware of that. You simply need to confirm whether or not he's wearing his ring still. If I were to check through Pein's connection, he would be aware of it, and I'm not ready for that to happen. Find out which base he's at and will be at next month, then attack him. Not lethally, just enough to convince him you're serious about ending his 'manipulations' and returning the Ring of Sky. You are absolutely _not_ to let him know that his ring is no longer strictly necessary."

Kisame smirked. Beside him, the armored shadow-figured only nodded. A moment later, both of them had faded from view.

"Guren, our new wielder of the Ring of Sky... you will accompany Zetsu to ensure that Konpantsu's team either succeeds or fails completely. If they are able to capture the boy's team, that's all well and good, but if they approach Iwa, end Konpantsu and his team, then delay or stop Minato's son yourself. We cannot risk his face appearing inside the walls of Iwagakure. Now that we've started the extraction process, we have a limited amount of time to capture them all, and trying to find out where a beast as cunning as the Nine-Tails will hide if the boy is killed would make that deadline... difficult."

The blue-gray-haired woman, one of only two in the entire group, nodded. Her voice was smooth and controlled, though she seemed more amused than anything by the task she'd been given. "Is this boy and his squad really such a threat? I mean, Namikaze's son or not, Nine-Tails or not... what's the big deal? He's just a kid."

Madara opened his mouth, but it was Pein who responded first, "It would serve you well to remember, Guren, that Madara-sama does not issue orders lightly. The boy and his team _are_ a threat. In theory, they could defeat any two of us if prepared. They _did_ take out Sasori-san, if you recall, and it was just the two kunoichi who travel with him. With the Nine-Tails's abilities manifesting in the son of the Yellow Flash... yes, I would say there is a real threat there. Even I would think carefully before attacking them outright. However, since you are being sent to capture, we believe this to be a good test of your abilities... and your willingness to follow orders."

The woman shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about the implication that she wouldn't obey. She'd taken the oaths they had demanded, and it was quite literally her life if she broke them. After Orochimaru, the man who'd betrayed her had left, Akatsuki had learned their lesson. And so had she. This time, she would find the power necessary to repay her old master in kind for what he'd done. "Consider it done. Where will I meet you, Zetsu?"

The strangely-shaped silhouette turned it's head in her direction, and a barely-recognizable voice rasped, "Five hundred meters down the road from the south gate, on the left side, the shortest column."  
Without another word, he faded away, like the others had before him. A moment later, Guren vanished in a flash of violet crystal, which dissipated into the air of the cave a moment later.

"Lord Madara," the remaining woman, and other only other one physically present, asked, "exactly what has you so worried about him? Is it the prophecy?"

The man nodded, "In part. You and Pein must take care. If he makes a side-trip to Ame, he must be allowed to pass. Bring him before your collected Paths if you believe you can handle him without my assistance, but don't make the mistake of underestimating him or his team. There were many reasons why it took so much work, so many armies, to make Konoha fall. And remember that your old sensei also trained this boy. He is not going to be a pushover."

Konan nodded, and she, like Guren before her, disappeared, this time in a flutter of paper, while Pein faded out.

"Hm," Madara said to himself, smiling softly in the shadows of the cave, "what am I going to do with you, my little pussy cat, while we wait for your rescuer to arrive?"

He lightly jumped down to the floor of the cave where an unconscious and chakra-bound Yugito Nii still slept, pondering that very question for several minutes before he scooped to gently pick her up.  
"Yes... that'll do nicely, I think. I love it when a tool proves useful for more than one task."

(O)(O)(O)

_Naruto jumped backward, yelping at the sudden pain in his gonads as they were ripped from Ino's iron-hard grip. "Ow!" he cried, wincing and cupping himself._

_Ino pouted, simpering, "But Naruto-kun! Don't you like it when I touch you? Don't you want me to handle you roughly, and make you squirm? I just want you to be happy, Naruto-kun! That's all Sakura and I have _e-v-e-r w-an-te-d_..."_

Damn it! Kyuubi, I'm gonna get you for this! Using my weaknesses against me is one thing, but this is a bit overboard, isn't it?_ But if the demon fox could hear his raging thoughts, it didn't respond._

_Distantly, Naruto was aware that Temari was getting hammered. Sakura had, despite the Suna kunoichi's greater agility and speed, been able to land a solid blow to the blonde's upper thigh. While it seemed, in their Fox-induced state, that Sakura was unable to utilize the necessary control of her chakra to shatter trees or boulders with a tap, it had still been a strong enough blow to numb the leg, essentially paralyzing it for several minutes until Temari would be able- he hoped- to get the seizing muscles to bend again. _

_Then again, he knew, with everything the Fox could extract from his own mind, if Temari did manage to pull away far enough to use her own fan effectively, there were plenty of large rocks and trees around for Sakura to use at range as well. It would balance the equation, perhaps, but there was no way it'd go into the Suna ninja's favor._

_He, though, had plenty to worry about right now. Ino wasn't trying to _hurt_ him, per se, but she was definitely keeping him busy and unable to back up his friend.  
The worst part, though, was that he _wanted_ to give in. While he'd mostly regained his self-control along with his memories of the last few days, when he had, influenced by the Fox, threatened Temari, he knew that the chakra still circulating in his body would continue to affect his temper and emotions for days if he didn't work it out somehow._

Not_, he thought sadly_, that I wouldn't want this with Ino anyway, but... not like this._ Yes, it's true, Naruto was a teenage boy. He wanted sex, and he wanted it all the time. But he was also a romantic at heart, much like his perverted sensei, and he didn't want the cheap women said master had, for many years, been forced to use for some sad mirror of companionship. He wanted the real deal... and he had the chance, with not just one, but two beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, scary women... if he could resist the urge to ruin it now._

_That was made a little more difficult when Ino untied another clasp of her top, the last, leaving it to hang only by the strings. This had the effect of allowing Naruto to get a full-on view of the blonde's generous cleavage, since she had neglected to wear her combat bindings since the Fox's chakra had begun influencing her.  
Naruto gulped.  
But despite the powerful distractions and Temari's cry of pain as Sakura got another glancing blow a dozen feet away, something Naruto had just thought spurred on a flash of inspiration, which lead to a plan._

_The Fox's chakra was powerful, strong..._

_But it was also a weakness. And he had the tools, well, _they_ had the tools, to use it against them... or the Fox. Whichever._

_Naruto shook his head, trying to clear the muddled thoughts, and closed his eyes. "Temari!" he shouted, "I got a plan! Can you keep them busy for a few minutes?"_

_He chose to ignore the painful levels of sarcasm in her voice when she responded, "Sure, Naruto! No problem! I'll just sit them down for tea, okay?"_

_It was crazy, but... it would work, too.  
At least, he thought it would._

(O)(O)(O)

"And that's what happened. After that, we carried you until we found a bit of shelter, and here we are."

Sakura was a little wide-eyed. "You... you really had to... I mean, we did all that?"

At the entrance to the cave, Temari snorted, making Sakura jump. She'd been so enthralled in her boyfriend's story she hadn't even noticed the other kunoichi approaching. "You still don't know the half of it. Once Naruto managed to get the seal out of Ino's pouch and on her head, we knew it'd work... but the Fox figured it out, too. So instead of just trying to seduce Naruto, you started trying to seduce _me_, too!"

Naruto couldn't suppress the blush and happy grin that broke over his face at the memory.  
That is, until he remembered that Temari was some kind of cousin, and if not close by blood, close enough in terms of friendship... and Sakura and Ino didn't want to share any more. He was cool with that... _Best not to get too greedy._

**A/N2:** Oh, and apparently, apologies for not doing the Naruto/Kushina (ish) scene now, too- it's coming, I swear it is, but I'm waiting for Ino to wake up. You see, Sakura (while the memories are there) doesn't remember her dreams well. Ino, being a Yamanaka, _does_. What's more, she can bring Naruto along... take that for what you will. It's something I've been planning from the start, though, so hopefully I can do that plan justice. :)

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

**Glossary:**

**Konpantsu**: This is a throw-away character. He's gonna die (or be useless) early on in the fight, despite being a Jonin. That is not to say he's worthless as a fighter- he _is _a Jonin-ranked fighter- but otherwise not of terrible import. For what it's worth, he's actually the Iwa Tokubetsu-Jonin I mentioned last chapter's younger brother (and joined Akatsuki willingly to get revenge too...), and is that group's primary spy in Iwa. However, again, not real important. I really only mention him now for the name- it's a pun, and not his real name. He 'thinks' it's "Blue underwear" (Kon can mean navy or deep blue), and "pantsu" is a slang term for women's underwear (or bloomers as well)- it's "Pants" in English.  
However, Kon has many meanings, including "Earth" in the phrase "Heaven and Earth" (Yin and Yang, this refers to Yang). But, Madara, being the jerk he is (at least the way I'm writing him, which is a cross between the Tobi and fake-Madara persona in canon, with a bit of myself thrown in for fun), is really calling him "Fish-pants". No, that's not a dig on Kisame- he's saying Konpantsu's underwear smells like fish.

… though, come to think, maybe that nickname would work well for Kisame either way, since, you know, he's blue and a fish... Anyone can feel free to use that in their own fics if they want. lol


	40. Chapter 40: Revelations of Stone

**A/N:** Appears I've been saying this too much lately, but again, sorry I'm late- I'm exactly a week (plus about 10 hours, but that's minor) behind, so I'd planned to get another chapter out tonight. That won't happen- but it _might_ be out tomorrow, depending on how much sleep I get with picking my brother in law up from the air port around midnight- it's an hour away. For those curious, he's back on leave from Afghanistan (Army), and he just had a son with my youngest sister- their third, and second son. So grats to them. :)

Anyway, some major- and I mean _really_ major, at least for the story- are revealed in this chapter. Don't skim, if you ever do, or you'll miss something. It's also not all the obvious two things. A lot of it's subtle, even what I point out as a clue in-story. Lol

I've very happy with the chapter, especially because I can _finally_ actually reveal the... well, no spoilers. But a big reveal in here, as hinted by the title. It's been written as-is for some time, and Sakura's analysis- as stated shortly after- is spot-on, for what that's worth.

No more blathering from me-

Enjoy!

**Chap. 40 Revelations of Stone**

"Well," Sakura said, slowly rising to her feet and brushing her rear off, "I suppose I ought to see what's wrong with Ino-chan. Temari... I can trust you not to go spreading all of this around, right? I mean... it could be damaging to Ootori-Suna relations. And Naruto's reputation."

The blonde kunoichi snorted, "Sure you're worried about diplomatic relations when they basically ran you out of the Village and told you they'd side with the Akatsuki and Iwa over your little home. Riiight... now, I _do_ believe you're worried about Naruto's rep. I'll keep it quiet."

The medic smiled wanly before limping- her legs were both asleep- the few steps it took to reach Naruto's other girl while he watched on, silent.

The shinobi stood as the medic knelt, stretched while she moved her softly-glowing hands over the other young woman, and began to pace. After a few moments, Sakura hissed, "Calm down, will you? It's distracting. She's fine!"

But Naruto didn't slow down, didn't pause. "It's not her I'm worried about."

That made Sakura look up at him quizzically. "Temari?"

He shook his head, and pointed to where the taller blonde had walked just a little ways down the hill outside the shallow cave to stare into the distance while they talked. "She's fine too. It's just... I don't know. I'm just worried. This whole thing, it's too easy. Too convenient."

Sakura shrugged, "I guess I can see where you're coming from. I mean, we're a couple of Chunin or Jonin-level shinobi and we're basically waltzing into the home base of one of the Great Nations. Is our training really that much better? Or are they letting us in, baiting us into a trap?"

Down the hill, Temari picked up a rock and threw it across the ravine as hard as she could. Naruto's eyes lost track of it before it had finished moving downward.  
He shrugged, "I don't know. That's the thing. But we aren't here after Iwa. Maybe they know why we're here, and they're letting us in easy to take care of Akatsuki for them? Maybe they _want_ us to get close so they can capture me and kill you guys for killing that Sasori guy. Or maybe they want us to get closer so they can capture us. There's just too many things that don't add up."

Sakura stood and dusted off her knees again. "She's fine, she should wake up in about ten minutes. I didn't even have to accelerate that. I know things don't make sense now. But there's a few things that do, right?"

He nodded as she stepped up next to him, hesitated for several seconds, and then wrapped one arm tentatively around his waist. "I mean... you get that I- that _we_- are here for you, no matter what, right?"  
Naruto nodded. "_Why_ doesn't make sense, but yeah, I get that."

She smiled alongside him, "And Temari-san seems to be on our side. If she stuck with us even with the Fox messing around in our heads..."

"Yeah," Ino's voice muttered from behind them. They both grinned as they turned.

"Ino-chan!" Naruto exhaled with obvious relief, "Glad you're back with us!"

"Slowly," Sakura chided as the blonde threw herself half-upright before wincing and holding her head with both hands.

"Ow," Ino groaned, "What the hell happened? Did someone clock me or something?"

Naruto and Sakura shared a look, but it was the medic who replied, "Well, aside from a minor- and over with- case of chakra poisoning, you were also suffering from exhaustion, _two_ mental presences in your head you weren't ready for, and you've been asleep for what, about twelve days? Your body's been out for about three now, but mentally you and I were both out of it from when we started to Mind-Walk Naruto."

Ino slowly shook her head, wincing as she did so, "No... I remember the trip. I was there... maybe it was the mental training. I remember, uh... _attacking_ Naruto, but I couldn't stop it. Hell... didn't even really want to, even though I knew it wasn't really _me_. If that makes any sense..."

Naruto frowned, "So... you remember more than Sakura? Then... do you remember my mother?"

At that half-hopeful, half-anxious question, Ino looked up suddenly, her countenance transported into delight. Sea-green eyes shimmered with laughter and tears. Looking straight into Naruto's own orbs, Ino nodded and said, "Yes, Naruto- I remember _everything_ she told me to tell you. What's more, I can even _show_ you... once we get back to Ootori and I can get my dad to teach me the next Jutsu on our family's scrolls."

For a few hours, Naruto only stood, stunned and silent, while Ino, and to a lesser extent Sakura, talked of Namikaze (neé Uzumaki) Kushina's words, her manner, and described his mother's appearance in exquisite detail, as only a ninja trained to memorize the smallest nuances could. After all, even in fledgling Ootori, reports had to be accurate. The paper-trail could not be allowed to falter.

But as the sun began to set and Temari cautiously returned- seemingly afraid to find the trio in the throes of passion or something, judging by her red face as she came closer- the two younger kunoichi began to fall silent.

As Temari stood in the entrance to the cave, waiting for clearance to become part of the conversation (a trait Naruto felt was unnecessary with friends, but was thankful for all the same), Ino felt her own inner conflict grow.  
Could she tell him?

But how could she do that to him?

Worse, how could she not?

Didn't Naruto deserve to know his mother's last words, even if they weren't about him? Didn't he have that right?  
"Naruto... there's more."

He nodded, turning back from gesturing the Suna kunoichi in with a tear-streaked smile, "Go on, Ino-chan. I want to hear everything!"

Somehow, she doubted that he'd keep that sentiment after... but then again, this _was_ Naruto. She knew, better perhaps than anyone (aside from maybe Sakura) just how unlikely he was to change his opinions based on something so devastating, yet... yet...

"I... She relayed to me her last words. The very last words she spoke. If... if you want to hear them."

At once, Naruto nodded, smiling more widely past the tears than even before.

Beside Ino, Sakura's emerald eyes, also swimming with tears of happiness for their beloved, widened in shock and, just maybe, a little fear.  
"Oh- okay. Just... let me make sure I have the wording right..."

Ino began to tap her left foot and right hand on the cave floor softly, then nodded her head along with the slow, steady beat. _Thump-tap, Thump-tap, Thump-tap..._ Almost like a heartbeat, Sakura mused.

When the words began, though, all sight of their present surroundings left both the rosette and Naruto. Instead, they were transported through time itself, it seemed, to witness the events leading right up to Kushina's death. Her blood-soaked torso, the thrick ribbons of it running down the inside of her legs as she handed the sobbing blonde child- easily recognizable, despite not carrying the whisker-like marks he would shortly have for the rest of his life- to the tall, handsome man who was also softly weeping beside her. Behind him, Naruto saw a towering vision of crimson, and watched something he'd seen far too often in his dreams already.  
He was watching, once more, Konoha burning.

But, unlike Sakura, he had seen it before.  
So he was able to tear his eyes away, as Ino's words filled his head with these strange visions, and gaze, for the first time, upon his mother and father.  
For one who had idolized the Hokage, even without Jiraiya having finally told him a few short months ago who his father had been, it would have been impossible not to see the resemblance with them right next to each other.

Still, Naruto, like Sakura and Ino, was trained to see nuance, to analyze, to memorize, to commit every important detail. So he only spent a few moments on his father's face, before scanning quickly across his- he had baby pictures, thanks to his foster parents, and didn't feel bad about ignoring his crying self- to look at his mother.

"M- Mom..."

But the red-headed woman, who Naruto could distantly remember Tsunade speaking of with awe as the "Bloody-red Habanero", was clearly already half-dead. Without immediate medical attention, she would- he had to do something! Sakura had to-

But no. This was the past, he reminded himself. It was eighteen years ago, eighteen years to late to save his mother.

But just as she had released him to his father's waiting hands- mere minutes before he would have that- that _thing_ trapped inside him for the rest of his life- her hand gripped her husband's tight enough for him to wince, and the dark blue eyes he'd inherited rolled up in her head.

Her voice, though, was not her own. Instead of the calm, if mournful, voice she'd been cooing to baby Naruto in while trying unsuccessfully to calm him, it was deep, firm, strong.

"_When darkness is gathered, _

_and hope seems lost,_

_secrets uncovered_

_reveal the plot._

_Fate's foe fights_

_the crush of flesh,_

_the deepening night._

_Hampered by allies_

_aided by enemies_

_The shadow of the flame's_

_last spark_

_When lightning's strike_

_unleashes the whirlwind_

_When stone trembles_

_and water stands aside_

_The flame can conquer._

_When the child spoken_

_of in prophecy awakens_

_the cursed fires_

_shall be reborn._

_White eyes._

_Black eyes._

_Red eyes._

_Sacred fire,_

_cleansing the cursed land,_

_hope born from ashes."_

Ino finished reciting, and the images swam, then faded from Sakura and Naruto's eyes. The blonde slumped forward slightly, seemingly unaware that she'd apparently already performed the jutsu she wanted to learn from her father. Naruto watched, with a powerful disconnect between his mind and the chaotic reality that seemed to surround him, while tears began to wet the ground beneath Ino's head.

"There's more," the blonde whispered softly, "Just a few more words. She said... she said, in her own voice, 'Minato, don't you let our son die. If you do, even Shinigami himself can't protect you from me. I... I love you. I love you both so much, Minato. I love you, Naruto-kun. I always will."

The blonde fell silent.

In the cave, and outside in the thin forest and increasing crags, the only sound was the quiet, baleful whisper of wind in the canyon.

Several hours later, after the moon had long since risen, Sakura was the first to speak into the silence. "It's not just a prophecy about Naruto, and the Uchiha, and the Hyuuga... it's a prophecy happening _right now_. Half of it's already come true... at least, I think it has."

Until the sun rose again, no one else said a word.

(O)(O)(O)

"Great Sage! You have the _entire_ collection?"

Sasuke smirked at his fianceé's stunned disbelief, but felt he had to correct the interpretation, "Well, they aren't _mine_, per se. But yeah, I've read them all. They're Itachi's. I've never seen him read them, though. He mentioned once they were a gift from one of his old ANBU teammates. Dog, I think, whoever that is."

Beside him, Sasuke could see Hinata's lips moving as she mouthed the titles of the four (he had it on good authority five would be coming out soon. Maybe he should pick it up for he and Hinata? As a wedding gift?) main titles of the Icha Icha series. And the fifteen spinoffs, none of which- as far as he knew- which had been penned by the original author, making them not as good. And the seventy-five unofficial fan-works that had been printed to date under the 'parody' laws. A weak attempt by most, he knew, to gain the favor of the author. If only he knew who the Great and Gallant Sage was... maybe he could find out what happened to Date Irobe and Ina Chiyu-hime before anyone else...

"Wow... it's... Kami, Sasuke-kun! How did I not _know_ about this?"

Sasuke shrugged, "You've never let me get a word in edgewise after that party. I didn't peg you for a fan, though. I thought only guys were into this thing. Itachi made it sound only like _desperate_ guys were into it."

Hinata snickered lightly, "So why did you read them all?"

Sasuke's eyes rolled slightly, but he answered, flushing visibly all the same, "Well, I _was_ desperate. I mean... I had questions. I was a teenager- and just starting that fun little adventure. I only had him to ask, and he directed me here, told me that 'supposedly' it would answer all my questions."

Hinata sidled a little closer and snaked one hand around his waist, whispering in his ear, "And... did it?"

He gulped, turned even more scarlet, and muttered, "And then some."

The indigo-haired young woman slipped her tongue just lightly along his earlobe, making him shudder. "Oh, my, Sasuke-kun... I think this is terribly unfair. Here you are, revealing secrets to me, and I haven't answered even your one question! No, not only desperate men read Icha Icha. In fact, it's something of a closet favorite among courtly ladies. The very highest in quality pillow-books, according to everyone who matters, in fact."

Sasuke gulped as her hand started to wander down his back. She'd done this before, shortly after their fight at Itachi's wedding reception. Then, she'd grabbed his ass with both hands and squeezed. Hard.

This time, she only had one hand, but it didn't seem to matter.  
When her fingers flexed around his buttocks, he jumped, and Hinata giggled.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun... one day, I'm afraid I won't be able to get such a reaction from you so easily any more... So tell me, Sasuke-kun... how much time do we have to be at the wedding? I think I have some... well, _reading_ to catch up on. And maybe, if you're good, a little bit of practice applying the knowledge in this library of love."

Sasuke gulped again, if anything turning another three shades of crimson darker. But his internal clock, like most ninjas, was fairly accurate. "A- about three hours, I think."

"Plenty of time then, don't you think? If I hurry, it will only take an hour and a half to get ready, since I will be wearing my hair down."

Unfortunately for Sasuke, while he might have been 'educated' by the likes of Jiraiya's 'literature', he still missed the subtle nuance of Hinata's particular choice of words.

She, however, like all court-trained ladies (she frowned at the term 'courtesan', while also mourning it's use for less-reputable services than it was originally intended), chose her words with exceeding care most of the time, and this was no exception.  
She had, therefore, done her part to warn her husband that he would not be escaping the night without a new scandal, of sorts, to distract the public from the scandal of the day before.

Not, she guessed, that he would have objected anyway, had he known.

(O)(O)(O)

"Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, _report_!"

The assault team leader's frantic call fell on deaf ears. Or rather, shattered, severed, broken ears. The nine teams that had left Iwa to form the cordon defending the Hidden Village from the supposed onslaught of the army- or squad equal to an army, if the rumors were true- had been wiped out by a single blonde.

But that blonde was not Naruto.  
No, because the blonde was a she.

Ino, however, and Temari, were both occupied with visions of prophecy at the time.

Tsunade, perhaps able to annihilate squads on her own (She would say 'certainly'), was also occupied with one of her new favorite activities- teasing Jiraiya. Not in the usual mocking way, but with a little slip of her blouse here, a hitch of slightly-hemmed skirts there, a subtle wink and smirk that told him she _knew_ he was watching, that she didn't mind, but that he wouldn't be touching that for a long time... No, as much as Tsunade enjoyed that game, it wasn't her.

Instead, the blonde woman in question was mostly expressionless as she called out, "Raiton: Power Surge!", and then silently screamed as the lashing of electrical energy streaked from the preternaturally-darkened skies overhead to pour into her body.

It was, fortunately for her, held for only a moment before she screamed with unholy rage, "Raiton: Stormshards!"

With a flash of incandescence, the remaining seven walking wounded and one mostly-unhurt Iwa shinobi were, along with their more-wounded or already-dead companions, vaporized into constituent parts by the very water in their bodies flash-evaporating all at once.  
The plasma in the air continued to roil for exactly three seconds, the longest even the woman in question, skilled as she was, could hold the powerful, overcharged jutsu, before the sound and electrical power flashed out through the area all at once, knocking even her, along with several trees and even small pillars of stone which had withstood centuries of wind and storm, away from the epicenter.

A half-mile away, peering through a single pinkish crystal, a gray-blue haired woman smiled wistfully. "Wow, what a girl. Too bad she has to die; she'd have made a great ally."  
Beside her, a green structure that loosely resembled a Venus fly trap opened to allow a white-and-black (half each) face to peer out between it's halves for a moment. "She is weak, allowing herself to be controlled so easily. Madara-sama is powerful, yes, but it's as if her own rage _wants_ to be let loose."

The woman shrugged the comment off, "I guess, but still. There's more than one kind of strength. Even I wouldn't want to tangle with that kind of power, and my crystals are naturally grounding. I hear she'd be even more effective against you, since her actual primary affinity is fire."

Zetsu frowned with half his face, but smiled with the other in an odd grimace. The black half answered first, growling through it's smile, "But what a fight it would be! Still, even I know better than to waste my strength like that. I'll probably have to return her to Lord Madara if she loses consciousness against these Iwa trash. You'll have to take on the Kyuubi container's squad alone for a few minutes if that's the case."

Guren only smiled, "So, you actually trust me enough to do that, huh? No one else in our little group does. Not even the only other woman. In fact, she seems to trust me the _least_."

Zetsu didn't reply aside from to close the plant-like matter around his head again before sinking further into the rock he had sprouted from.

**A/N2:** Aaand... the promised Ino/Naruto x Kushina/Naruto scene is indeed here, but NOT how I'd planned it. Such is a writer's life, of course, and I'm not complaining- this is better than I had planned- but it's surprising (still, after years of doing this) how easily a scene can get away from you.

Anyway, as always, feel free to PM or **_review_**- (like that _subtle_ reminder? :) )

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

**Glossary:**

******Raiton: Power Surge**. It's a B-rank supplemental jutsu (to use a certain other author's common parlance...) that specifically boosts the power of Lightning jutsu cast within the next few moments. Basically, it pulls ALL the static electricity from the surrounding area- that area depending on the strength of the user- except for the area about to be targeted. That needs a charge to react to, of course. This is what overcharged the next jutsu the woman (if you can't figure it out, you don't deserve to know yet) used.

**Raiton: Stormshards**. It's a wide-area chain-lightning effect. You've seen similar, I just couldn't think of the canon name and wanted something mildly original, something that could conceivably be overpowered with minimal changes to canon. So there you go.

**Prophecy**: Yes, that's the actual prophecy I've been alluding to from the beginning. It was the very first words I actually set to paper (aside from my outline and notes) for this fic, and has- and will- remain unchanged. There are, as with any good prophecy, _many_ possible interpretations, but only one correct one. As well, what I mentioned above is true- Sakura's analysis, as far as it goes, is absolutely correct- about half the prophecy has already come true. In fact, only one last part before the key part has yet to happen, and it's going on right then.

For those truly curious, keep reading- for the rest, be aware that everything after this is covered by a **_ HUGE HUGE BIG GIGANTIC MEGA COLOSSAL SPOILER ALERT OF DOOM AND STUFF._**

You see, the next chapter's title is "And Stone will Tremble".  
Yes, for those paying attention, that's almost lifted directly from the prophecy.

And yes... yes it will, and for more reasons than one.

Lastly, and this is still covered by the spoiler alert- that means the action I've been promising for so long? It's _almost_ here. One chapter more... and maybe a half. There's a bit of a weeeeeeddddding and some serious humor (inspired by my Beta, Mouse, who pointed out a GLARING HOLE in my outline I didn't even notice to exploit).

Alas, poor Itachi, we mocked him well... and that's all I'm gonna say about that. :)


	41. Chapter 41: And Stone will Tremble

**A/N:** So it's a day late, but I'm caught up... now.  
The problem is, it's _twelve pages_, and I don't want to be burned out for _next_ Sunday's update... but I should be okay, as it's not gonna be OH. Still, what many of you have been waiting for (even more than last chapter/yesterday's update!) begins here.

Oh, and props to my Beta, Mouse, for inspiring (I mentioned this before by the way) the Itachi/Tsunami stuff. Final note, this hasn't yet been betaed. Sorry for any grammar/spelling/other errors. Feel free to point them out, though, and I'll correct them ASAP.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 41 And Stone will Tremble**

"Well, that's it, then," Jiraiya concluded. Tsunade's office was packed, rows of uncomfortable chairs (So, she said, those who sat in them wouldn't get too comfortable or complacent in their positions) were filled to capacity, with several standing, with Jonin and other leaders of the new Village's forces. "Nami is being officially absorbed by the Mist, and there's nothing we can do about it. Gato Corporation owns all the land anyway, and they brokered the deal. At least the new Mizukage has elected to stay out of this mess... so she says. Whether or not the Bloody Mist will actually stay out of it is anyone's guess, but with the reports I've had coming in, she's got quite enough troubles of her own trying to quell the bloodline purges, when she's rumored to have not one, but _two_ bloodlines of her own. Not to mention, of course, rebuilding her nation after decades of civil war."

Tsunade, the only one seated comfortably behind her large desk, frowned behind her clasped hands. "Her name's... Mei, isn't it? Terumi Mei?"

Jiraiya nodded, turning only his head to face his old (and new, in a different sense) partner, "Yeah, I think so. I haven't been able to confirm, though, the new Mist ninja forces seem to be surprisingly loyal, whatever their old issues with bloodlines were, and she's being very secretive. All I know is she's supposed to be a red-head, amazingly beautiful, and scary strong... oh, and she was a member of the Seven Swordsmen a few years back. Left before Momochi Zabuza did, from what I hear, citing personal differences with... well, her orders. Yagura, I think."

Hiashi, sitting in the center of the front row, grimaced. "That man... how could any Kage deliberately destroy and weaken his own people like that, for so many years? What could he have possibly gained by doing so? He didn't rob them, didn't tax them heavily, he just killed so many, ground them beneath his boot. To what _point_?"

Two seats down, Uchiha Fugaku actually chuckled, "He was a madman, obviously. A tyrant who was so enamored with hiw own power and strength, he probably felt like it was necessary to crush anyone who might have been able to threaten him, and then just grew to like the killing. Probably the Sanbi's influence."

Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had yet to reveal to the council and it's advisors the (entire) truth about Akatsuki and their goals (as they knew them), shared an anxious glance. How much did Fugaku know about the tailed beasts? The Uchiha were, after all, rumored to be able to use the Sharingan to control them to some extent. Perhaps he knew more than he let on? Could he be after Naruto?

"Doesn't really matter, the way I see it," a tall, thin man with spiked white hair said from behind a cloth mask covering the lower half of his face, "either they stay out or they attack- no good hoping they'll stand with us, after they joined up with everyone else to attack Konoha. But whatever they do, we have the same preparations to make, the same state of high alert we need to be in for Kami knows how long."

Tsunade nodded, "Hatake's right. You know your duties and tasks, best get to them. Council members, stay here for a few more minutes, please. We've one more matter to discuss. The rest of you, dismissed. Oh, and Hatake- you stay too."

The tall man frowned beneath his mask, but nodded. He would follow any orders she gave him, he'd sworn an oath to follow the Hokage, and he'd stick to it. He would never be the traitor his father had been. Never.

After the majority of the Jonin had left- it took about fifteen seconds- the man moved to stand before the desk at attention, wondering if he would be reprimanded for speaking out of turn regardless. He'd only met the blonde Sannin once or twice, despite being one of the first non-Uchiha or -Hyuuga arrivals at the Village. He just didn't know her well enough to guess, yet, what she wanted him for.

"Hatake Kakashi, son of Sakumo. You made Genin at five and Chunin at six, is that right?"

She watched his body language alter completely- though subtly- at the mention of his father, but he nodded curtly, saying nothing otherwise. _He's still pretty bitter about that. But this is a matter of duty, and if there's anything his psych profile is right about, I'm sure it's his feelings on that matter._

"Hatake-san- do you mind if I call you Kakashi? Good."

She also didn't miss his slight further tension at the assumed familiarity, but knew he wouldn't dare object. She wanted to put him more at ease, anyway. After all, men of his caliber didn't just come along every day. Ootori needed him, and for that, he needed to feel like this was a promotion, not a demotion, no matter how demeaning it might seem. "In fact, I have it on good authority- my own memory, though I don't know if you remember- that you were trained by the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and had a good personal relationship with both him, his Sensei, Jiraiya here, and his wife, Kushina?"

Kakashi nodded grimly, forcing himself to stand tall despite the sudden tower of grief that seemed to have been dropped on his shoulders at the mention of those two names.

"Did you know, then, that Minato and Kushina had a son?"

Kakashi actually coughed, making Tsunade smile slightly behind her clasped hands. When she released them and sat back in the tall chair, though, her face was as expressionless as normal. "I- I was aware that Kushina-chan was with child. I was under the impression it had died along with her that night."

Tsunade smiled, proudly and wistfully, but said, "Your impressions are wrong, then. Naruto- Uzumaki, not Namikaze, at least for the time being- his own safety, you understand- was in fact raised by yours truly and Jiraiya, his godfather and godmother. That tall blonde kid with blue eyes you've doubtless seen around the village? That's him."

Kakashi's eyes visibly widened. His knees began to tremble. The council members, silent behind him at this revelation- though many of them suspected, none had really been _sure_ aside from Fugaku and Hiashi- seemed like nothing more than a school of gaping fish at that moment. Jiraiya, though, was more prepared, had, in fact, planned this out alongside Tsunade, and so was able to quietly push a now-empty chair under Kakashi's knees, forcing him into it before he collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

Tsunade gave him a few moments more to adjust to his suddenly different world-view, hating herself for what she was about to say, how obviously she was about to manipulate him, but knowing she really had no choice. Of course, what came after would be even worse, but wouldn't seem that way at the time.

"And right now," she continued after taking several calming breaths herself, "Naruto is in real trouble. Desperate, in fact. Your last chance to have a connection, a real, lasting connection, with your old sensei is running into a trap. Last we heard, he's moving from Ishigakure straight toward Iwagakure. They're probably well inside the Tsuchi border by now. Frankly, we can't afford this war, and won't be able to for generations at best. But we also can't afford to lose Minato's son, or let the monster he keeps contained safe."

Kakashi shuddered, remembering, no doubt, that night of crimson, not just blood, and heat. "Kushina's burden?" he whispered.  
She nodded. "That's right, and his grandmother's, too."

Tsunade was glad the Jonin had the wherewithal, even in his distraction and turmoil, not to make it _too_ obvious what that burden was. Some members of the Council might not have known, and while it was important, she'd rather Naruto have as close to a 'normal' relationship with them as possible. "We need you to extract him and his team. Get them out of there, Kakashi. Bring my son and daughter and their friend home. Can you do that? Knowing you'll be going in with minimal backup, right into the very heart of Tsuchi? Is that within your skill level?"

Hatake Kakashi actually hesitated. He was good, there was no doubt about that. It was possible that, without Itachi's Sharingan, the two would be evenly matched. So, in fact, he was _very_ good. But that... almost alone, into the most dangerous place on the continent for an Ootori ninja to go right then? That wasn't impossible, that was flat-out suicide.

His father had abandoned his mission and saved his comrades for that very reason. There was no way he'd be able to do that, make that mistake, be a traitor. Never.

And yet... the very mission itself was to save comrades this time. How could he _not_?  
"I can do it. Who will my companions be?"

Jiraiya smiled, "Just one. I'll introduce you, come on. He's not quite as good as you, I think, but he can hold his own. I sparred with him last night, and he actually hit me! Twice!" Jiraiya's laugh was not as soothing to Kakashi's nerves as the older ninja might have hoped, and less so when Kakashi saw the black-haired, black-eyed man standing outside the door of the office waiting for his own meeting with their leader.

"O- Obito?"

The other man's eyes widened in a mirror of surprise. "Kakashi? But- but you died! I saw you!"

The taller man's eyes then narrowed, "I didn't die. _Rin_ died. Because of _you_... but I haven't got time for this, Obito. You and I, we're going to have words when I get back from my mission. We're going to talk, talk long and hard, about why you're alive and she's not. And Kami help you if I'm not satisfied with your answers, Sharingan or not. You know damned well you've never been a match for me."

Jiraiya, standing aside for this confrontation, allowed the smallest hint of surprise to show on his face. Like the whole meeting so far, this had been arranged for Kakashi's benefit. Surely seeing his old teammate, alive, after their history would have cheered him up? Made the next task they had for him, when he returned, much easier to accept? But this... this anger was unexpected. It appeared the old spymaster didn't know everything going on after all.

_Why can't thinks just be easy for once?_

(O)(O)(O)

Two days later, bells- several small ones, since larger bells took a long time and more infrastructure than they currently had in Ootori to construct- were ringing out, calling those involved to the recently-completed Shinto shrine at the center of Ootori's new park district.

Like many of the ancient religion's ceremonies, this one was simple. A bit of chanting, some sworn oaths, a family consigning their daughter to 'death', meaning she would be changing her name to that of the husband's, that family celebrating a new member to their ranks. A few more oaths, tying a red string of fate or love... and then the party. As the old priest, who was nearing the century mark in years on this earth, watched the well-wishers, family, and friends filter in to the surprisingly spartan stands, he couldn't help but smile past the tears.  
Weddings always made him cry.

But far beyond that, the onions his nephew had been kind enough to liberally sprinkle all over the inside of his robes made things even worse. At least, he noted, the groom, _Stuck up, arrogant prick of a ninja he is_, was able to resist the urge to cry himself. As the raven-haired, slightly older woman (who the priest would freely admit to ogling more than once himself as the wedding approached and their meetings grew more frequent) approached between the rows of seats, he was less pleased to note that her eyes had started to water just past the last row. Was the aura of onion so powerful it reached almost ten feet?  
But as he started to chant the ancient songs once again, the priest put them from his mind. Doubtless, the woman was crying for sheer happiness. After all, who wouldn't want to marry such a handsome weasel- er- ninja- of a man, so stoic, so strong, so cold and emotionless? Young love... it always made him smile.

Of course, he always cried at weddings anyway.

Not so the still dry-eyed groom's younger brother, in the front row next to his father, mother, and own fianceé. The Hyuuga in question currently had one dainty, pale hand wrapped around her future husband's, and was squeezing it with her nails hard enough to stain his dress obi- fortunately mostly red- with blood. He seemed to be handling the situation much like his brother, with quiet aplomb... or maybe he was just an emotionless prick, just like said brother. But at least the young Hyuuga seemed happier, now.

Beauties like her deserved to be happy with romance, and she seemed to be that now, if not before. The bloody patches on the boy's lips might have been why...

The chant finished, and the priest was forced, momentarily, to focus on the task at hand once again. It wouldn't due to forget which oaths had already been made, after all, and repeat one. That would make him cry at a wedding for entirely different reasons than young love or his nephew's insufferable prankster spirit. _Damn you, Tazuna! Why did you have to be involved in her _third_ wedding, too? Couldn't you have just let me off once?_

Yes, that implication is correct- the priest, old horndog that he was, had more than once ogled his own relations, the granddaughter of his nephew.

And yes, he was that old, too.

But now he wouldn't be allowed to look anymore, because the daughter of Wave was becoming one of the Phoenix, and even he couldn't be comfortable ogling a married woman. Damn it...

He always cried at weddings.

(O)(O)(O)

"Ino, you and Temari head left, me and Sakura will go right. I don't know who that gray-haired lady is, but that jutsu of hers just flattened five squads. Be on guard, and don't attack unless you have to. She might not be our enemy, she's not wearing a headband, and she did take out Iwa. Then again... if she's part of Akatsuki, she won't miss the chance to taunt me or capture me, either.

The four were just about to split into their teams when the woman in the crystalline forest below them called up, "Hey, brats! You should get down here quick, I'm getting bored! These Iwa trash didn't entertain me at all!"

Naruto actually jumped. How had she known they were there? His own chakra-hiding skills weren't superior (the mass of roiling energy constantly inhabiting his coils saw to that), but he'd been known to hide even from the elite of more than one Hidden Village when it came down to it. Until now, only Jiraiya had been able to reliable detect him. But this woman...

"How'd you know I was there?" Maybe, just maybe, if he showed himself, she would think her earlier statement was wrong, that it was just him. He stood and began to walk slowly through the unstable scree surrounding the depression the woman inhabited. She looked up at him casually but with recognition as well. She not only had expected someone, she knew it would be him, and she knew who he was. That was not a good sign, whether she was from Stone or Akatsuki.

"I'm Guren, kid. No surname. You're Uzumaki Naruto, right? I recognize the whiskers."

Behind him, Naruto felt the three kunoichi tense. Did they dare move? Would she sense them if they did? And if they didn't, would she be able to launch some kind of attack at their position without warning, since Naruto had made his former position known?

But the lone shinobi in the bowl between several peaks of Tsuchi no Kuni had no time for such questions. His mind was, instead, occupied solely on what the woman was doing, rather than what she might do in the future. Because she was making hand signs with a single hand, a talent he'd tried hard to learn form Jiraiya, but had yet to master despite three years' solid effort on that front.

Anything beyond a D-rank was still impossible for him, he just lacked the necessary speed and coordination to pull off more dangerous jutsu in battle. Worse was that he didn't even need _one_ hand to do that, he could use every D-rank jutsu in his arsenel without any signs, or even calling them out. Still... whatever she was doing, she wasn't using much chakra. It couldn't be _too_ dangerous.

"You seem pretty confident, miss."  
"I said, I'm Guren, Uzumaki. Call me that. I ain't young enough to be a 'miss' any more, and 'missus' sounds too old. Just Guren."

He nodded, "You can call me Naruto, I guess. I take it you aren't here to play nice? Since, you know, we're surrounded by what I can guess are the corpses of several dozen Iwa ninja. Or are you on our side after all, even though I've got no particular problem with the Village Hidden in the Stone?"

The woman shrugged, "Tell your lady friends to come down and talk like civilized folk, or I'll get rough. You wouldn't like that much, Jinchuuriki or no."

_Damn it... maybe I can try one more trick..._ "All right, come on down, Sakura, Ino."

The rosette grumbling and the blonde stony-faced, the two stood stiffly and made their way down to where Naruto had stopped a dozen paces away and maybe three feet higher than the woman. She was still smiling slightly, apparently unworried, though she'd now confirmed the odds as three-to-one.  
Looking around at the body-filled crystals, Naruto could see why.

"All right, now what do you want, Guren?"

She shrugged, "What do I want? The oldest motivation in the book, sweety. Revenge, of course."

Naruto blinked. "Revenge? Lady, I've never met you, never seen you, never heard of you. What did I do that you want revenge on me for? Or are you pissed about something my parents did? Did they kill your family, or something?"

Guren actually laughed. Naruto was almost reassured, it seemed quite genuine. She even slapped one knee with a hand and doubled over for a moment. In the twenty seconds or so the strange woman was reacting to his comment, he took a few moments to analyze the situation further, relatively sure she couldn't or wouldn't attack him while laughing.

She was tall, a little taller than Ino, just slightly shorter than Temari, maybe fifty pounds heavier, though by no means overweight. She was, if his figure-analysis was any good (and, given ten years with Jiraiya as his sole teacher, it likely was) rather muscular and toned underneath the slightly baggy clothes. If anything, her weight was due to muscle or weaponry, because she moved like she was just slightly encumbered. _She has a small weapon pouch somewhere, but nothing so visible as mine or Ino's, much less Sakura's medic pouch._ Furthermore, he was also able to see flakes- many flakes- of the same rose-quartz colored minerals which had entrapped, and likely suffocated or crushed, the Iwa force laying haphazardly around, almost all next to a dented or scratched kunai, senbon, or shuriken. One heavier weapon, a kusari-gama, hung from her belt, but despite it's obviously used condition, it was tied firmly- there was no way she'd be able to get it quickly enough for a surprise attack, not with all four of them on guard.  
"Kid, as a matter of fact... I got to give you points for a good guess. Rumor has it- and it's just rumor- that your mom did kill mine in battle. But I ain't sore over it. Hell, I'd thank your mom if I saw her, mine was a right bitch. No... it ain't you I want revenge on, sweets. You've heard of the man, though. Name's... Orochimaru."

All three of the Ootori ninja gasped. Even Temari, behind them, tensed at mention of the name. While Sasori of the Red Sand was mentioned in hushed whispers, if at all, in Suna (until she'd learned of his death, at any rate, at the hands of her two female companions), even in Wind ninja and civilian alike feared the name of Orochimaru, Konoha's worst traitor, the Fallen Sannin.  
Sakura was the first to recover, not surprisingly, "What do you want with that bastard? Did he perform experiments on you like we've been hearing?"

Guren smiled again, but this time it made the medic shudder. There was no mirth, no joy... only lust for blood. "No... no, he didn't. You see, I was too _valuable_ for that. I've got a really powerful and rare kekkei genkai, as you can see," she gestured with one hand idly to the crystals.  
Each of the other ninja tensed again in case of attack, but Guren only continued speaking as if there was no reason to be tense at all, "I was promised a lot... to learn at his side, to gain a portion of his power. I actually got both of those, for a while, but I was also told I'd be made into his vessel... but I was cast aside like trash when he broke from Akatsuki. Seemed he thought he couldn't trust me any more... and he was right. But only because he cast me aside! If he'd done what he swore he would, I'd be one with him right now. I'd never have joined Akatsuki in the first place. Now, though... now, I want revenge. And you, kiddo, are the key to that."

Naruto, surprisingly even to himself, had relaxed slightly on mention of the organization they were after. _So she is a member. She'll know where the base is, then, if she's this strong. Unless they don't trust her yet. But she's got one of those rings the old perv was talking about. She's gotta be one of the main members._ "Sorry, I'm not in the habit of being anyone else's tool. You want revenge, I get it. I'd like a chance at that bastard myself for what he did to Konoha, Ero-sennin, and Kaa-san. But I'm sure as hell not gonna let you rip the Nine-Tails from my belly to do it."

Guren shrugged, "Suit yourself, I guess. I honestly didn't expect to do this without a fight anyway, but thought I'd give you the option of coming quietly. After all, you don't want your little girlfriends to get hurt, do you? Do you really think you can protect them?" She gestured once more to the crystals around them.

Naruto drew a kunai slowly with each hand and spread his feet, ready to lunge forward or to either side at any time, and growled, "I don't think I can. I _know_ I can. But I also know I don't need to. They can take care of themselves just fine, no matter how cool your bloodline is."

Slowly, Guren's hand also moved to pull the draw-tie to unleash her kusari-gama. Behind and to each side of Naruto, Ino and Sakura drew a kunai each as well, and both began to gather small amounts of jutsu. If he knew his guess, the medic was going for a chakra scalpel, or maybe a rock-crushing punch or kick, and Ino was hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman's strategy for the battle, or better, a hint as to what her jutsu was really capable of.

Naruto, though, was just counting on two things- that hopefully, Temari was still unknown to the woman and would be able to launch at least one sneak attack, and that, if all else failed, he could 'unleash the beast' one more time, even though he'd sworn never to do so again if he could help it. Then again, he reasoned just before he began to move, he'd also sworn, if only to himself, to protect Ino and Sakura, and that overrode all other obligations, as far as he was concerned.

(O)(O)(O)

"All right, all right, Itachi! We've seen enough of your ugly face, now get out of here with your wife! You've got work to do in three days, remember, so enjoy what honeymoon you have!"

The elder Uchiha brother knew then beyond the shadow of a doubt that his younger sibling was well into his drink. Not only had Sasuke never, ever, dared insult him, he'd also made a joke. Something was not right with the world... but as Sasuke had also reminded him, it wasn't his problem for two and a half days. For now, his only problem was... hanging on his arm, not _nearly_ as inebriated as his little brother, but acting much the same.  
"Come _on_, Itachi-kun! I'm ready to go!"

He gulped. That was what he was afraid of. Suddenly, he began to wish he'd actually read the books he'd pointed out to his brother all those years ago when he'd started puberty.  
He could do with a dash of knowledge about now...

Twenty minutes later, the ox-drawn carriage, hastily remodeled from one of Hizashi Hyuuga's personal wagons in their old caravan as a wedding gift of sorts, arrived at their honeymoon destination, Ootori's first hotel. It was only about a quarter completed and still under heavy construction, but as Itachi was, for all intents and purposes, a noble of Ootori now, and this wedding was one of the first major positive events since the Village's founding, they'd been given the first complete room, which would later be designated the honeymoon suite (thanks, in no small part, to their activities for the next two days, he assumed), and assured that the kitchen, while only partially finished itself, would nonetheless be able to cater to any room service they wanted- within reason, of course.

All of that was nice, Itachi thought, of his father and mother to arrange. But those thoughts were only a distraction.  
From what, you might ask?  
Panic.

Sheer, unadulterated, terror. Terror the likes of which one Uchiha Itachi, proud Jonin (and ANBU Captain) of the former Konoha, and prouder Jonin of Ootori, proud brother and sensei to Sasuke, proud son of Uchiha Mikoto, and at least acknowledged son of Fugaku, the leader of their Clan. Proud... hus- hus- hus- _Oh great Kami, what have I gotten myself into? How did I let this debacle happen?_

Yep.

Itachi was scared of marriage, scared even more of his wife.  
While he sat, petrified (aside from trembling knees and hands) on the edge of their honeymoon bed, said new wife stepped from the bathroom of the suite in a silk robe, which was tied only loosely, revealing generous, but not over-abundant, cleavage in the candle-light that was the room's only illumination. "T- Ts- Tsu-"  
And that was as far as he got, before she, smiling deviously, pulled the drawstring, allowing the robe to slide further open.  
Itachi's mouth dropped- he could now see _all_ of Tsunami's cleavage, plus a few inches of her rather toned (she evidently was no stranger to hard work) abdomen.  
With her grin growing still wider, Tsunami gave a small roll of her shoulders that not only caused the robe to drop with a quiet hiss to the floor, leaving her in all her bare glory, but said cleavage to move in most fascinating ways, along with the rest of her breasts.

"Holy Kami..." Itachi breathed.

Tsunami smiled, "Why, Itachi-kun, I didn't know you were into older, married women so much. I take it you like?"

She, wisely, took his silence and staring black eyes- showing more emotion than she could remember- as agreement, and stepped toward him. "So, Itachi-kun," she asked softly as she stepped between his legs. His eyes had followed the sway of her breasts with every step she'd taken, and he didn't look up at her face as she spoke, though she could tell at least some part of her words got through, "I know you must seem a little nervous, or maybe even a little inadequate, since I have been married before... but don't be. I know what I'm doing, and as long as you can follow instructions, tonight- and our entire marriage, if you want- will be quite pleasurable for both of us. All right?"

Again wisely, Tsunami took the small current of drool coming from the left side of Itachi's lips as agreement.  
"All right then... here's what I want you to do. You don't even have to undress, yet. First, you're going to take your face, and shove it right between my breasts..."

Itachi blinked.  
Then he looked up, black eyes widening in shock.  
Tsunami only nodded, "You heard right. Stick it right in there. Call it... jumping in at the deep end. Best way to learn to swim, right? Just dive right in... there's plenty more to learn before we get to the main event."

Unfortunately, that phrase, those two simple words, were just too much.

Itachi flopped bonelessly back onto the bed and promptly passed out.

Giggling, Tsunami turned his head so he wouldn't drown on his own blood, and whispered to herself, "That's three for three! I get to finish with a perfect record! Kami, I love virgin grooms!"

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto's last kunai shattered under the heavier kama blade of Guren's weapon, even as the older ninja swung it back upwards to parry a simultaneous strike from Ino, and her left leg flashed backwards, connecting with a soft, but far too hard for his sake, thunk into Sakura's gut, throwing the medic backward several feet.  
"Come on, kiddies," Guren chuckled, "I mean, I know I have a few years' experience on you, but I was told you three would be a threat! I haven't even broken a sweat, haven't even pulled out a jutsu yet, and you're all panting!"

As if with one mind, all three of the Ootori ninja leaped backwards away from Guren, who, in response, stood straight again and appeared to relax. While they caught their breath for a few seconds, she ran a fingernail- black- down the blade of her kama. "Hm, three scratches... that's good, I guess, I usually don't have to block that much. Only got one from the whole Iwa army they sent after you. Though I didn't take out more than half, it's still better than they did."

Ino grunted, "Shut it, hag. No one wants to hear your bragging. We're going easy on you, too, you know."

Guren only shrugged, still grinning, "If you say so, blondie. Let's see... five fireballs, three water jutsu, two earth, and what, five air, plus that blue swirly ball that broke a crystal? Sixteen jutsu to none... I guess training and experience really are good, since I haven't needed my kekkei genkai to flatten you."

Naruto only shook his head, "Words are useless. We aren't submitting, Guren. If you've got some way to force me to surrender, go ahead and try it. I trust Ino and Sakura. You aren't going to be able to kill me, even if your boss would let you kill me early, so that's out. You're gonna have to go all out if you want to succeed in your mission."

While Naruto was talking, Sakura, who had been almost opposite Naruto, gasped. "Naruto! Behind you!"

He spun and lunged eight feet to the side. The ground behind where he'd been standing was _rippling_.

The shinobi was further shocked to see a brown plant start to rise from it before gaining more natural color, and less-natural shape.  
When the humanoid figure spoke, it was to Guren, not him. "You're taking too long, Guren. Just capture it and be done with this. We must return to the base as soon as possible. The Master has tired of using Nii against Iwa's pathetic defenders and is ready to extract the Nibi."

The gray-haired woman scowled, "Fine, fine... spoil all my fun, Zetsu... jerk. Go on and let him know I'll be on my way in a few minutes. Shouldn't take me more than an hour to arrive once I do. What do you think I should do with his cuties?"

The half-colored plant-man frowned, "Eat them, kill them, turn them to crystal, I don't care. Just get moving."

Before the other three were ready, he had already started sinking back into the stone. Just before his head vanished, though, it spoke, "Oh, and Guren, you're about to lose your head."

Unfortunately for Temari, the older kunoichi had reflexes beyond even what she'd shown so far, easily ducking the strike from above and behind, a strike that most ninja couldn't even have seen.

The blade of air cut into the ground between Naruto and Ino, slicing deeply into it, even as Temari changed direction and retreated higher up into the air, riding atop her huge fan.

Naruto heard her swearing under her breath about interfering freaks.

Shaking his head, Naruto flexed his fingers, allowing just the smallest hint of _it_ out to play. "All right... since it looks like our time's up anyway, we may as well play along. Let's make this quick, all right, girls?"

While both Ino and Sakura seemed more than a little nervous about Naruto's decision to use even the small amount of chakra it took to gain his red eyes and the claws, they nodded firmly. There was indeed no more time for games, not if they were going to save Nii Yugito.

(O)(O)(O)

Sasuke whispered to his companion in the dark alley, "This seems so wrong... but I can't seem to stop!"

Breathlessly, almost panting, his companion spoke in a smooth, feminine voice, "I know... it's so dirty! Not just in public like this, but with your brother... right? But that's just part of the charm, I think!"

Uchiha Sasuke, proud shinobi, assumed Chosen One, etc. etc, was not engaged in 'lewd behavior', or anything even involving indecent levels of visible skin. Even though is companion, one Hyuuga Hinata, wished very much that weren't the case right now.

Instead, he was holding a recent invention from Kumo called a 'video camera'. It took moving pictures, in fifteen-second intervals in the near-prototype version. It also, as he and Hinata had figured, made for excellent blackmale and mockery material.  
Sure, it may have been wrong, indecent, even more than a little kinky or strange or worse to spy on your brother's honeymoon... but when a woman- your fianceé- as beautiful as Hinata tells you she wants to play a prank on your brother to welcome herself into the family... well, you don't disagree, pretty much no matter what. Besides... given how inexperienced his brother had proven over the last hour, he would likely be holding his innards in with both hands lest they break out and cause his death when he was finally allowed to laugh at... well, it.

"Ooh, Sasuke-kun, look! He's coming to again! Do you think Tsunami-san is going to try a fourth time?"

Sasuke grunted, an answer Hinata seemed quite adept at reading already. "I know! Oh, oh- here she goes! I have to give it to her, she seems much more... accepting of all of this than I would be. If you disappoint _me_ like that on our wedding night, well... you might get another chance, but not _four_."

Sasuke shuddered, but didn't otherwise react. As he watched through the camera's sight, both black eyes widened, and reflexively shifted to red. Machine or not, it seemed that, subconsciously, he _really_ wanted to commit what Tsunami was doing to memory.  
Next to him, he heard Hinata whisper, "Byakugan," and peer even more intently at the window across the street.

A few minutes later, she gave a low whistle, the first sound either had heard since she'd activated her dojutsu. "Is that even _possible_? Wow, she's pretty flexible for an older woman."

Sasuke could only agree, though he wisely kept any thoughts about how flexible Hinata- being at least partially trained in the Byakugan- was to himself. For now, at least.  
_Four more days... four more days... damn it, body, calm down! Just four more days..._

Little did he know his little sex kitten of a fianceé had no intention of waiting _quite_ that long... but she seemed to be fine for tonight, at least.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto, with a Bijuu-Chakra covered fist, smashed aside the crystal spear as it flew toward him at breakneck speeds, never slowing his forward momentum. He'd learned not to break the crystals that Guren was trying to grow around them, after breaking his own arm as it shattered. Fortunately, Sakura had been able to fix it in moments while Temari and Ino kept her busy and trying to decide who to go after first.

Sakura, having suffered even more rigorous physical training than he had at Tsunade's hands, hadn't even come close to being covered yet. As quick as Guren was, as fast as she was at forming the crystals, they were not instantaneous, and that left the medic enough time to move. Ino, while slower, had been able to predict- almost like the Sharingan would have allowed- Guren's attacks, at least while directed at her. Temari, it seemed, had been firmly out of her range the whole time.

While that kept the girls safe, Naruto knew, it also made him the prime target.

But now, even as powerful as she was, Guren seemed to be tiring, while he was getting a third wind. The Fox, for what it was worth, was not fighting him for this chakra.  
Instead, it seemed to be gifting exactly as much as he wanted freely, without complaint, and with no accompanying emotional issues to deal with.

_Bastard probably doesn't want to get stuck as Akatsuki's tool any more than I want him to. It's his soul on the line, I'll just die, if Ero-kyofu's right._

"Temari, go left! Sakura, right!"

Naruto understood Ino's meaning at once; Guren had slipped, just slightly and apparently truly, on the scree and gone down to a knee. She was vulnerable!

But just as the girls closed, the older kunoichi smirked and spun upward, throwing herself into the air in a spin with most of her body in a straight, though crooked line. It almost looked like...

An image popped into Naruto's mind of a man with long, straight brown hair spinning in a very similar fashion right before a web of blue chakra enveloped him in a sphere.

"No!" he cried, punching out with both hands, a long mass of orange chakra forming fist-like structures at the end of each, to knock Sakura and Ino back.  
It never occurred to him that his chakra might even be more damaging than her own attack.  
But when the waves of crystal appeared, forming a blossom of the rose mineral around Guren that spun rapidly for several seconds before dissipating into the air, the two kunoichi landed on their feet, uharmed, at least to Naruto's quick glance in both directions.

_What? How is that... it even burns me!_

He was, perhaps, easily forgiven for not noticing that said chakra was not burning him right then, even though it covered his entire body, and even though he had three fully-built and separate tails hanging in the air behind him he hadn't noticed.

Guren landed on one knee, gasping for air. "Damn... I can't believe that didn't work. All right, kid, I admit you're pretty damned good yourself. Tell you what- you think on what I said. If you want to save your fellow Jinchuuriki, we'll be on the outskirts of Iwa, in the Pottery District, the old abandoned warehouse- name on the sign's 'Jyubochi'- on Zebra Street. It's on the south side, and obviously we'll be through the hidden trap door."

Naruto tried to grab her, but the kunoichi was gone in another flash of crystal shards before he could close half the distance, even with Fox-boosted speed.

"Damn it!" he swore, kicking uselessly at a crystal that had, before it had been broken in the fight, contained what appeared to be an Iwa Chunin. "It's gotta be a trap, but what choice do we have?"

Temari, reluctant to admit the fight was over, landed next to Naruto as the other two approached, both nursing bruises and several cuts, and in Sakura's case, probably more than one broken and hastily-knit ribs from Guren's kick to her stomach.  
"We don't, Naruto, that's the point," Ino groaned. "We'll have to go, though, if we're gonna have even a chance. We should take a bit to rest and heal up, though."

Temari shook her head, "I don't know. Iwa's just on the other side of that ridge," gesturing forther north, "and they probably know we're here with that fight going on. Any sensor worth their weight would have felt the chakra of the Fox alone, and at five times the distance."

The three Ootori shared a look. She was right.

"All right," Naruto muttered, "new plan. I... I'm going in. You three stay here-" and then had to yell over all three, though admittedly Sakura and Ino were louder, when they objected vehemently.  
"No, _listen_, he repeated, I go in alone- _alone_- to scout. You three hang back, but be ready to either back me up if I can't get out, or extract me if things get really hairy. I'll need you watching the gate to make sure me and Yugito make it out. Okay?"

"Naruto, even you can't handle-"

But he cut Ino off, making her frown, "I _can_. I still haven't shown all I can do, not yet. I... I think, since the Fox wants these guys dead as much as I do, we can actually work together on this. He wasn't fighting me at all before. If I have his help, we can take 'em down. I know we can. And if we can't, well, that's why you guys will be in reserve."

Sakura, though, had one more objection. "Naruto... what's your favorite jutsu?"

He frowned, "Rasengan, duh. My _dad's_ jutsu? Remember?"

She shook her head, giving Ino a significant look, "Okay, Ino, what's _your_ favorite?"

The blonde actually thought for a minute, "I guess the Disturbance. It might not be our most powerful, but I like being able to control and see through a target's eyes without any real risk to myself."

Sakura nodded, "Right, right... and Naruto has a jutsu that does something just like that."

"I do?"

Green eyes rolled, she whapped his head lightly, again ignoring the chakra that still covered him to do so, "Shadow Clones, Naruto... the one you use for training? I know you haven't used them much recently, but it _was_ intended to be a recon jutsu, remember? A good clone or five of yours could scout the place quickly, trigger any traps, and you'd know what was going on once they dispersed. If we're lucky, they might even be able to get Yugito out themselves."

Naruto blinked once, twice.

"Okay. Sounds good! Let's go!"

An hour later, Naruto was staring down at the smoking crater that would have contained the very district Guren had mentioned. He looked slowly over at Temari, who, like the others, was staring with gaping mouth and eyes at the devastation. "You didn't see that before?"

The Suna ninja shook her head, "No... that was _not_ like that before."

But even as they watched, another explosion near the edge of the first crater happened, blowing apart several blocks in a flash of blinding electricity. Any thunder they might have- _should _- have heard from that stroke of energy never came. A blast that size should have been _felt_ through their feet, if not heard, but... nothing. Just the flash, and when their vision cleared, another five blocks of the Village Hidden in the Stone was vaporized.

"Shit. I think... I think 'Master' lost control of Yugito. I sense Bijuu chakra, and not yours, Naruto."

Temari muttered a moment to herself, cursed under her breath for betraying Village secrets, reminded herself she'd already 'betrayed' her Village once (even if in their interests), and spoke more loudly, "Rumor- reports- have it that one of Iwa's Bijuu was already captured by Akatsuki. The other's unknown, but I can't say for sure. Even though the Kazekage's my father, I'm a bit young to be up on all the sensitive information. Are you sure it's Yugito?"

Naruto sniffed twice, "I'm sure. It's her. Same plan- I'm going, you get ready to extract. This might be easier than we thought, if I can subdue her two-tails form easy enough. Would be nice if we had any chakra-suppresion seals left, but... bygones. Get ready!"

Just a bit over fifteen minutes later, the girls watched a streak of orange- Naruto- collide with what was now a blazing blue fire that had slowly been moving toward the center of the massive city.

The shockwave nearly made Temari fall from the edge of the cliff.

**A/N2:** Two chapters in two days (Sunday morning I had a paragraph of that chapter actually on the page), and this is nearly twelve pages. Go me. :)

Hope you guys enjoyed, hope the action (the bit we started with) wasn't a letdown- it's been a while since I've actually_ done_ a promised action scene, so I'm rusty I think- but more of the same coming. Not just Guren, but between Naruto, Yugito, and Iwa as well. Poor stone... not trembling just from the Bijuu fighting in the streets, but from memories of the Yellow Flash in their city too. :D

Oh, and thanks again to one of my reviews- I forget who at the moment- who reminded me about the Obito/Kakashi thing I'd been planning. I would have forgotten it (and it's a chapter late, but fits just fine here) otherwise. Yes, there is more plot there. :)

And, just to make this totally clear, I've only been 'planning' that for about a week. Obito, as I've said many times already in various replies and A/N's being alive is a mess up on my part, but one I'm running with anyway. The Kakashi/Obito (and Rin, Minato, etc when it gets to that) plot is something I just came up with recently, but it again fits well with the story.

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

**Glossary:**

**There is something...** that goes here, but I've forgotten what and can't seem to find it. Sorry... if anyone sees it, shoot me a review or PM and I'll stick it in. Sorry. lol


	42. Chapter 42: Stone Burning

**A/N:** Nearly four weeks late... I have much to apologize for. However, I think this chapter will make up for it. In my defense, however, I _did_ have this chapter done on time... four times. I just haven't been satisfied with it, and kept tuning, restarting, fixing, etc etc until we have the (for me) masterpiece that it is now. :)  
Just to remind you, this is the penultimate chapter of this arc. The next (in a few weeks, unless the same thing happens again) will be both the climax (this is near to it) and the denoument of the arc, and the next arc is the last.  
That, of course, is the real reason for the delay- this has been a very well-received story. It's had (and has) several thousand loyal readers, and at least a few hundred of them (far more than any other stories of mine) have reviewed, often every chapter. This chapter is my thanks for that- because you guys are great fans, I've decided you deserved not just a good chapter, but my BEST chapter to date, of anything, ever- that includes my novel writing, where I usually put a lot more work into each line than in fanfiction.

And, of course, thanks much to my Beta, Mouse, who got me back this chapter in HALF AN HOUR. Yay him! :)

Anyway, expect some surprises (some more obvious than others), some drama, and _at long last_, some real action! Mind you, for those disappointed in the length of my combat scenes (there has been another comment recently about that), combat is _deadly_ in this story. It isn't a shonen anime here- it's a gritty, life-and-death story. No fancy duels, just one guy being a touch slower than the other and ending up dead. This is, barring the final few fights, about the most 'cinematic' my fighting gets. And... it's still pretty short by both anime and fanfic standards, but longer than usual by far for me. :)

Enjoy!

**Chap. 42 Stone Burning**

In his office deep below the fortified bunker that was the heart of Iwa's military-ninja operations, the Tsuchikage roared, "Incompetent _fools_! I don't bloody _care_ if he's the damned Yellow Flash himself! He's the damned _Nine Tails Jinchuuriki_, and he and Kumo's Two-Tails are _fighting_ inour_ streets!_"  
The layer of dust holding several of the older, most experienced, Jonin in Iwa against the office wall released them, sending the elders and top-ranked Jonin to the floor in several heaps while he continued to rant at them, "Do you think your positions will survive this? _Do you_? Do you think your life is worth the life of _every Kami-damned civilian in this city?_ Who will pay for missions if they die? Huh? Get your asses out there, and _fight_! Stop those two at all costs! And somebody _find Roshi_!"

While the Jonin and elders scrambled to flee from their Kage, the diminutive old man stumped around his rock desk, glaring at the wide monitor mounted on the wall, which displayed the conflict (from a safe distance of about five miles across the city), and made his way to a side closet.

"Brats can never do anything right. And they wonder why I never chose a successor! As if I'd trust Iwa's wellbeing to these nincompoops! I'll have to show 'em all I ain't too old for this!"

Then he, Oonoki of Both Scales, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, began to gird himself for battle.

(O)(O)(O)

By the time the three kunoichi had reached the bottom of the slope, the conflict between the two Jinchuuriki had already moved on, though they could still see signs that the twin blazes of orange and blue were streaking through the city, since the walls of one or several dozen buildings would light up in a momentary, moving flash of either color. Combined with the gathering smoke and the storm-clouds that was bringing in, the noon-day brightness was quickly becoming overrun with an eerie twilight. The occasional boom or hiss-zap of electrical arcs was distant, but only added more to the surreal feeling of the area. At least, Ino mused, they had not seen any Iwa shinobi yet. Maybe between Guren's attack on the vanguard and the Two-Tails' assault on Iwa there weren't enough left to threaten them?

Ino was just starting to become hopeful when the blonde from Suna had to open her big mouth. "I've got a baaaaad feeling about this..."

She saw Sakura's shoulders slump from tension into despair immediately. "You just had to say something, didn't you? Damn it... there went our luck!"

Temari scoffed at the notion that simply observing it could change their situation, but hadn't finished the sound when a stone, a foot in diameter, struck her in the back of her head, knocking her senseless immediately.

As she crumpled to the street a few feet ahead of the others, Sakura only had time to spare her a cursory glance. She was out cold, no doubt, and bleeding, but she wouldn't be able to check for more serious injuries- not when they were clearly under attack. By the time she'd turned, Ino had already sent four kunai and two shuriken behind them, but hit nothing except the earthen armor of two Iwa ninja... out of at least thirty. "Oh crap... Uh... Ino? I've... got a bad feeling about this, too."

The blonde glared at her, this time, but only hissed out, "Naruto would _never_ give up until he's dead. He's fighting, we have to fight too. That's all there is to it. Fight, and win."

Still visibly shaken, the medic nodded. Fifteen plus on one wasn't good odds, but they'd already learned that in general, Iwa's training was not as good as either of theirs. They could handle this... maybe. It would sure be nice to have Temari up and not have to defend her too, but... sometimes you just had to take what you could get.

The last thing Sakura clearly registered before the fighting began in earnest was Ino's soft, threatening growl, "Oh, and Sakura? I don't care _how_ bad the situation is. You never, ever, _ever_ tempt it to get worse by saying that!"

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto's nose, sensitivity heightened as it was, told him more were coming. More importantly, it told him that Temari, Sakura, and Ino were too close. He growled; they shouldn't have followed. At least not yet, they were going to be in danger any moment. If not from him, than from Iwa's ninja forces, which had begun to rally, or perhaps the Two-Tails Jinchuuriki herself.

He couldn't let that happen. Nothing, no harm, no injury, was allowable. Not to them, to any of them, his friends, his... well, whatever exactly it was that Ino and Sakura were. In fact, Naruto resolved then not to allow any threat to even come close to them.

But when the tall, shapely blonde woman, who's visage and whole body had been twisted by the vast feline chakra in her body to something both more and less than human, hurtled toward him in the wake of a blazing arc of electricity, Naruto remembered how hard that would be.  
Because frankly, despite the relative power he (or at least, the beast he contained) could bring to bear in relation to the Two-Tails, he was already overmatched by her experience and speed, if not strength and skill.

_How do you follow in the wake of a lightning bolt, anyway? How fast _is_ this lady?_

It was a rare fully-formed thought for Naruto, who usually was so attuned to the situation in battle that he was known to react to things before they even began. In this combat alone, a pair of Iwa Jonin had attempted a combination Fire and Earth jutsu against him, hoping, perhaps, to bring down both he and Yugito in one blow.

However, before the slower of the pair at sealing had performed four of the hand signs, Naruto had broken off his counterattack towards Yugito and thrown himself toward them. The faster had finished seven seals, abruptly changing his chakra use to something Earth-natured and most likely defensive, but it had been in vain. Although the jutsu was, for the most part successful, Naruto had already been inside the earthen dome with the two Jonin.  
A moment later, when a black-eyed Yugito blasted through the walls with a stream of white-hot fire, both Jonin were already dead, heads removed by a single swipe of Naruto's chakra-encased left claw.

This time, though, the younger blonde had been taken completely by surprise by the combination Lightning-jutsu and physical attack. The woman's body collided with him at an incredible pace, throwing them both not just down, but into the already-shattered wall of a collapsing building across the street.

In a powerful example of the time dilation that warriors frequently experience on the battlefield, the younger Jinchuuriki was able to feel every nuance, every crushed ligament or muscle, every ripple through his body, caused by the repeated- seven times- impact of Yugito's right fist into his abdomen. He could also feel the claws of her left hand as they sank into the soft flesh of his throat. Fortunately, neither had already gone through a jugular, but they were perilously close to either that or ripping out his larynx. Even with his vaunted Uzumaki heritage and the power of the Kyuubi backing that up, Naruto wasn't sure he could live through either. He certainly wouldn't survive both.

The six walls shattering against his back as they blew their way through a few buildings were, in comparison, a mere nuisance, since both Jinchuuriki were covered in cloaks of hyper-dense chakra.

"Nnnoo_oo_," Naruto growled, bringing one hand to strike the inside of Yugito's left hand, and ignoring the punches of her right, his other returned the favor instead. The combination threw the older ninja off him and back through the hole they'd just made, but not nearly as far as she'd propelled him.  
Whatever was controlling her, whether it was some arcane jutsu of the Akatsuki, perhaps Iwa, or just her own Bijuu's homicidal rage, the normally gentle Nii Yugito was fighting far more desperately and forcefully than Naruto could allow.

He didn't want to hurt her.

Or Ino, Sakura, Temari.

Or even, deep down, the Iwa ninja who occasionally harrassed them.

He definitely didn't want to hurt the civilians who were, even now, crying for aid, screaming in terror and fear as they fled, or that had already died in the chaos of their fight.

"I can't let you hurt anyone else, Yugito-chan. I'm sorry... if you can't control yourself, I'll have to stop you. I... I don't want to. But if I have to, I will."

The woman actually paused, stared at him for all of two seconds, and then snarled. Her own deep blue and white chakra cloak was already at two tails and burning intensely, but he could see just a spark of Yugito in her eyes.  
Then it was gone, buried under whatever was controlling her, and she lunged forward again.  
Naruto didn't have time for a sigh of frustration as he readied himself for the attack. Instead, a third tail began to bubble into existence behind him.

(O)(O)(O)

Six miles away, Sakura was fighting for her life, alone. She'd been separated from Temari and Ino by a collapsing building, and had decided it wasn't worth the work to climb over the dangerous rubble while under constant attack. Instead, she'd called out to the pair of blondes that she'd find another way around, and that if worst came to worst, they were to meet up at Naruto's location. Maybe, just maybe, they could help in the titanic struggle between Jinchuuriki without getting themselves killed. They knew, or at least hoped, that if the situation became that desperate, Naruto would withdraw.

So, bleeding from a gash on he left cheek that had opened a jagged line completely through, blinking sweat from her emerald eyes faster than was safe with the constant threat of attack, and nursing a few bruised ribs, the medic punched through the chestguard of a nameless Iwa Chunin, sending the man ten feet down the street, coughing up blood.  
It bought her a few second's breathing room to look around, at least, since there didn't appear to be anyone above the basic Stone Genin level around, and most of those had learned to stay well away from her.

Many thought she was a rogue Iwa ninja, given the devastating attacks she'd unleashed through the ground. Sakura didn't mind the misconception; it would be easier to pass off their effective invasion if they thought she was a Missing Ninja from their own Hidden Village. At least, she thought, temporarily.

Sixty yards east of Sakura was a major crossroads, which joined the wide thoroughfare (now clogged with the debris of battle; shattered buildings and bodies alike) in a skewed X formation. The closest significant enemy force was there, with what looked like two full, reinforced squads totaling twelve ninja, at least two of which were sure to be Jonin.  
All in all, not a fight Sakura wanted to have, not even in prime condition and with the ability to catch them unawares.

Since they were at least keeping an eye on her, even with most of their attention on the clashing Jinchuuriki a half-mile or so up one of the side streets, that was unlikely.  
Behind her, the rosette knew, were no more than seven Genin, most injured, and the rest too cowardly to attack unless she presented an unmistakeable opening. No, they weren't a threat, not really, but even the worst combatant could get lucky. And since she was alone, with no backup, that wasn't a risk Sakura was happy with. Besides, moving backwards would be working counter to her goals: Meeting up with Naruto, or at least Ino and Temari.

She would have to go through them, as quickly as possible, to mitigate the damage.

Or... perhaps...

Green eyes flickered left, to a large, reinforced (and now barricaded with a solid wall of stone which had been raised by one of those Jonin earlier) to protect what appeared to be a government building. "That'll have more than one door. I might just be able to slip through... Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The clone appeared in a puff of slightly pink smoke, just one, all that the medic dared to split her Chakra. She wouldn't be getting any of it back, and hadn't the reserves of her would-be lover or his unusual ability to dictate exactly what each Shadow Clone received in terms of the ninja's mystical energy source.

"Ninja Art: Skyclad Veil!" Sakura had hated this jutsu when she'd first learned it, having heard from Shizune that 'sky clad' had, well, _other_ connotations. However, once she'd mastered it, it had proven the very best tool in her arsenal for getting from Point A to Point B undetected- at least by sight. Put simply, it cloaked her in a combination Wind-element- and Gen- jutsu which subtly bent the light around her so that, rather than reflecting back from her surface, appeared to proceed straight through as if she wasn't there. In other words, it granted near, though not total, invisibility.  
If the ninja watching didn't see the wisps of smoke as she left the cloud, they wouldn't (probably) notice her passing at all, and would assume the Shadow Clone was the real her... until it was too late.

Said Clone stepped, with a determined expression, from the cloud and began to plant several explosive tags on the nearest large piece of rubble.  
While doing so, not only did a few of the ninja turn to watch carefully, obviously on alert for an attack, but the nearly-invisible Sakura did the same to a slightly smaller slab of rubble, one perhaps only as large as she was tall. Of course, it still weighed about seven times what she did, but it wouldn't be a problem.

_Okay,_ she counted to herself, _I gave the clone six real tags, I have four on this one, so I only have my two flash-bangs left, but that should work for a quick escape if I need them. Especially one after the other. Let's go!_

When the Clone, moments after she'd tapped it in the back, heaved up the larger rock and hurled it toward the group of watching Iwa shinobi, they scattered immediately. Even the Genin had been watching, it seemed, which indicated to Sakura that these were a cut far and above the relative pushovers they'd fought as they closed with Iwagakure.

Still, while they'd been expecting the stone to crash into their barricaded area, and at least some had been ready for the paper bombs' detonation, she'd deliberately set them with a shorter fuse.

The aerial explosion sent shards of jagged mineral shrapnel raining down into the group with a velocity any ninja would be hard-pressed to dodge.

Immediately after, the Clone dashed forward, sprinting in a zig-zag pattern to avoid the intermittent attacks from the wounded (at the least) ninja that were able to still fight back. That was the real Sakura's cue.

It wasn't that they wouldn't be able to see the second rock; she just counted on them being too distracted by their injuries and the clear and present threat of her Shadow Clone to be able to stop it in time.

For once, the plan worked exactly as Sakura intended. Her own stone collided with the earthen wall, burying itself deep with the strength of her throw, and then exploded.

It took a ten-foot chunk of the three-foot-thick barrier with it, blew out the large, stone double doors behind, and caused several of the braver workers inside the building to scream in pain or fear.

To their credit, one of the wounded Genin and two Chunin, one of which had miraculously escaped injury from the shrapnel, moved at once to cover the door, while a Jonin took on her Clone.

This was her only chance.

The Clone, she saw, was actually holding it's own against the Jonin. It wasn't able to attack effectively, it would have the chakra for only one strength-enhanced attack, and would want to use it as a last resort. As a result, it was largely evading and countering with only regular Taijutsu. That had never (aside from her strength and 'excessive' avoidance training) been Sakura's forte, but she seemed about on par with the Jonin, who had only come close several times to landing a blow.

It was a good thing, too, since doing so would reveal Sakura's ruse for sure.

The Genin and Chunin at the door were packed in too tightly for the medic to be sure she could sneak through, so she altered her course to come up the side of the reinforcement wall, hoping to catch one in the side by surprise and slip past before they could react.

Again, the plan worked flawlessly.

A single punch, not overly hard (ie, not with a burst of devastating chakra behind it), knocked the Iwa kunoichi out for the count, and likely left her a massive bruise on her right temple.

The Chunin lashed out at once with several shuriken, but Sakura was already gone. In fact, she'd never even stopped.

The wind-illusion jutsu was starting to fade, she knew, but if she could make the shadows inside the building, she'd be all right...

Then the wall of dust sprang up before her, too close to stop herself from hitting it.

As Sakura bounced off the iron-hard particles, she developed a sinking sensation. _I _knew_ that was too easy..._

"Hm, a little brat of Konoha, huh? This is what they send to invade the Village Hidden in the Stone? A little girl?"

(O)(O)(O)

Ino's head ached. Her chakra was depleted almost completely, she had maybe one more good jutsu. Temari, though, was still up and fighting, despite her barely-healed head injury. Unfortunately, the shorter blonde knew the older girl was running on fumes herself, doing all she could to turn back the waves of advancing ninja. _Say what you will about quality over quantity... there's something to be said for having five times the standing force of every other Hidden Village. Damn it... is there even an _end_ to these guys?_

Another fusillade of thrown weapons came their way. Again, as she had more than two dozen times before, Temari spun her fan and hurled them back or away.  
This time, though, two stuck in the fan itself, and a third was only slowed partially. It barely scratched Ino's arm, but that was still a very bad sign. "They're getting through," she muttered.

Temari, thinking she'd been complaining, growled, "I _know_, Ino! I'm about tapped out, here! Your turn for a bright idea!"

But Ino's put-upon brain was having none of that. The seven shinobi she'd been able to turn against their allies had been cut down by the rest far too quickly to really thin down the horde against them. In fact, that seven had (counting themselves) really only taken out fifteen. Facing them, still, was a force of at least fifty.

In short, they were absolutely screwed.

"I got nothin, Temari. Looks like this might be it."

The taller blonde scowled. Several of the closer ninja in the line around them smirked, having overheard. One had the temerity to call, "'Couple'a chickies like you'd do real well here, ya know? You could move into our barracks, keep the place clean, keep the boy's morale up..."

But before either blonde (who, to be honest, were mostly too exhausted to be upset over the insinuation anyway) could return, the building to the left exploded, crushing or burning half of the group in a flash of blue fire.

"Ino-chan! Temari-chan!"

The blondes couldn't quite believe it.

Naruto? Not only alive, but _talking_ with four tails out?  
He'd certainly come a long way with the small bit of instruction the girls had been able to relay from his mother.

"Naruto, am I glad to see you!" Temari panted, "We're both about out. We're going to have to withdraw. We lost Sakura, but-"

Before she could finish the sentence, a fireball streaked through the hole Naruto had made in the building with his chakra-cloaked body. It impacted him on the side of the face, throwing his eyes to the right, but otherwise leaving him unimpaired. However, the roiling shockwave of heat also blasted Temari and Ino back, along with the first several rows of Iwa ninja.  
"Damn it, Yugito," Naruto cried, visibly frustrated even though his canine features, "Can't you just _back the hell off_?"

The older Jinchuurki came following shortly behind the fireball, tackling Naruto to the ground as she went.  
Numbly, as Ino rose to one knee, the wondered- was it better to have Naruto and Yugito shielding she and Temari from the group of Iwa ninjas, or better to have the group of Iwa ninjas shielding them, instead, from the Jinchuuriki?

(O)(O)(O)

Kakashi was sprinting flat-out. It would take him two days at this pace- a stretch even for him- to reach Iwa, but he had to do so. Minato and Kushina's legacy needed him. The closest thing to family, now that Rin was dead and Obito a traitor, he had left.

The trees, still unnaturally huge even half-way between the Fire-Stone border and Ootori, were already dark. Hidden beneath the leafy canopy, the gathering twilight cast strange shadows in the forest. But he, Hatake Kakashi, had been an elite amongst elites even as a child. He could handle this, could handle the run, though if he wanted to be in fighting shape upon arrival in Iwa, he'd need to take a rest somewhere in Tsuchi no Kuni.

Still, that was at least a day and a half away.  
Kakashi, accompanied by his ever-faithful familiar-summon Pakkun, ran on.

Behind him, all-but outpaced, Uchiha Obito followed. He'd do his duty, no matter what Kakashi thought of him. He'd save his friends, Naruto and Sakura. After all... he needed them alive, both of them. Failure was not an option.

(O)(O)(O)

"You did pretty good, girlie, but you're about three hundred years too early to fight me on even ground. Who's your master? That old hag, Tsunade?"

Sakura, panting heavily, decided to devote just a little chakra to flush the sand from her eyes, to close the bleeding gashes on her eyelids and forehead. She couldn't fight the diminutive old man if she couldn't see him. She wasn't a Hyuuga or Uchiha.

"You don't get to call Tsunade-sama a hag, you grumpy old fart!" Sakura, perhaps unwisely, called out while doing so, "You've got to be at least twice her age!"

Rather than lash out, the short man actually laughed, "Aye, aye, I am about that... or at least, I can't remember how many years older I am. You don't know who I am, do you, girlie?"

Sakura reluctantly shook her head. She should know, she knew she should (she'd suffered through the same geopolitical lessons Naruto had, and at least recognized the battle-armor of the Tsuchikage).

"They call me Both Scales Oonoki. Tsuchikage, The Dust Storm, and a few other less-polite names. Face it, girl. You aren't gonna win."

Sakura shrugged, "I guess not. Doesn't mean I'm going to surrender, though."

Again, the man laughed, scratching his rather bulbous nose for a moment. As a few more Jonin showed up behind him, Sakura's heart fell further. She whispered, "I guess this is goodbye, Naruto, Ino. Tsunade-sama, Ero-sennin, Shizune-nee-chan. Thanks for all you guys taught me."

"I don't think you understand the situation here, girlie. Surrender? I'm not going to _let_ you surrender, not after what you five have done to my city. You're going to _pay_."

That, though, got Sakura's attention. "_We_ did? We're trying to _save_ your city, you numbskull! It was the Akatsuki that set Yugito loose in the middle of Iwagakure! We're just trying to stop her, save her from them!"

Oonoki snorted, glaring at Sakura, "Bullshit. Akatsuki's an old wives' tale, a tavern story for retired ninja with too much booze in their veins and time on their hands. No, I know what's really going on. You think our information networks aren't every bit as good as Kumo's, or Suna's? You've been to both places, you and your little group. Got training in the Cloud, picked up the Kazekage's daughter in Sand... ditched the second-rate Uchiha scion while you were at it. Probably a good idea, they're all mentally unstable anyway."

Glad for the few seconds' conversation to allow her to force down a (third) food pill and recover a few more injuries, Sakura stood tall at that, glaring back (and staring down at) the old man in the hat. "Say what you will about me, if you want, but Sasuke's my team mate. You don't get to talk shit about him. I trust him, and I do so with my life."

Oonoki rolled his eyes, "The 'Will of Fire', huh? I've heard it all before, girlie. Let's just cut to the chase. Tell me your name, so I can send it along with your body- what we can identify- back to the old hag after we're done cleaning up the mess you guys are making."

Sakura stood a little taller, pride evident in her features, "Ootori Kunoichi, Registration Number Zero-Zero-Zero-Zero-Three, Haruno Sakura."

Several of the still-gathering ninja chuckled. Ootori only frowned slightly, "Three, huh? Guess that makes you the third-most-senior Ootori Kunoichi. What a blow to that tiny upstart Village's morale when we send you back. You men," he called with a gesture behind him, "stay out of this. She _is _the old Senju medic's student, no doubt about that. She can probably cream most of you. Me, though... well, I'll be the one grinding _her_ into... well, _dust_."

The subtle clue was just enough for Sakura to dive forward, toward the old man, and scrape out of the cloud which had gathered, unnoticed, behind her.  
However, he was surprisingly agile for such an old man, and had dashed forward himself with preternatural speed, likely carried along by his control over the fine particles that filled the air around them, more so in the ruined section of the massive city.

His punch caught Sakura, unprepared for speed equal to or greater than even Jiraiya's, in the stomach.  
As her body folded around his small fist, she heard him whisper, "Don't worry, girlie, I'm not ending you just yet. First, you're gonna be the bait to calm your boyfriend, the Yellow Flash's son, down. I think you can do that, can't you?"

Sakura's only reply, with the breath knocked from her, was a quiet whimper of worry.

(O)(O)(O)

When Jiraiya, answering the summons, entered the office of the Shodaime Hokage of Ootori's office, he found Senju Tsunade, staring out the reinforced glass of the window pensively, with the tip of her thumb between her teeth.  
"Something bothering you?" he asked, already knowing by body language alone that his old teamate and new lover was very much bothered by something. What, though...

"Damn it, Jiraiya, don't play games with me. It's just..."

But she fell silent anyway, leaving the sage to guess. "Fugaku's conspiracy, whatever it is?"

Tsunade shook her head, leaving her blonde twintails to sway slightly. She didn't bother turning to face him.

"Hiashi's rabble-rousing, then? I thought they were both pretty calm, what with how well Itachi and Tsunami's wedding went, and how well Sasuke and that Hinata girl are getting along. Unless... damn it, that boy didn't knock her up _already, _did he?"

Tsunade snorted, "No... not for lack of trying, from the rumors, but I don't think they've even gone that far myself. He's still too shy... but she'll wear him down. Hopefully not until the wedding. I don't know how much longer Sasuke can push it back, though. He's already made a lot of people angry pushing it back, they're starting to question whether he even wants the wedding again."

This time, it was Jiraiya, and a humph of displeasure, not a snort of amusement. "Nah, he wants it. What guy his age wouldn't? She's got a big- well, 'tracts of land', as they say. And pretty. Far, _far_ to young for _me_, of course... and I'm perfectly satisfied with you, thanks, 'hime. It's just... no, he's interested. I'm pretty sure he just wants Naruto, Sakura, and Ino to be there. They're the closest thing he has to friends."

The Senju nodded, finally turning around to look at her teammate, "I suppose that's possible. Kami knows he's had to have suffered more than we can even guess with that stick-in-the-mud Itachi raising him... at least Tsunami's got him around her finger already. I knew I liked that peasant girl."

Jiraiya waggled his eyebrows, "You've got a thing for the pretty peasant, huh? Does Itachi have some... competition? For that matter, do _I_?"

That broke the lines of worry completely from Tsunade's face, making Jiraiya sigh with relief- quietly- while she laughed. "No, you pervy old goat! You know damned well I'm not into girls! Now, if I _was_, then sure... maybe. I know me and another hottie's your all-time favorite fantasy, but... no. No, I was worrying about Naruto."

Sensing the sudden shift in mood, Jiraiya stepped further into the small office (or at least, it seemed small, crammed as it was with paperwork from both the hospital and Village in shelf after shelf, and several free-standing stacks at least half as tall as Tsunade was), taking a chair at the desk before leaning back, arms folded across his chest. "He'll make it back. You know I've taught him almost everything I know, right? And Sakura's top-notch. If they have that Yamanaka girl and old Tanaka's daughter, it's almost certain they can last long enough for Kakashi to find them."

But again, Tsunade shook her head, "No, no, I'm not worried about that. It's actually... well... the Act passed."

"Ah." It wasn't much, but Jiraiya knew exactly what she was talking about. It'd been the sole topic of political conversation- almost the sole topic of conversation at all for anyone of breeding age, which for ninja, was twelve and up.

The Limited Lineage Protection Act, LLPA, was simple in effect, but difficult to enforce... maybe. Essentially, it would allow some bloodlines, those that, for example, had fewer than four members of any gender that were separated by at least two branches of family- ie, not cousins, but at least second cousins- to marry. Nothing really special, there, so why the restriction? It allowed such marriages _regardless_ of any other standing relationships or marriages. It didn't annul or dissolve any such thing, but it would allow some families, like the Hatake, (if she desired it) the Senju, and the Namikaze-Uzumaki to take more than one spouse to help ensure that their bloodlines would be carried on. It had the secondary effect of widening the gene pool as well, which was a problem for a recently-rebuilt Village. At least, it would have been within a generation or two, provided they lived that long. This, though... it would create other problems.

Because the LLPA was not limited to only ninja, and was not limited to only ninja with known Kekkei Genkai.  
"They still have to get approval to fall under the umbrella, right? It's not like any civilian with a small family can take another wife or husband?"

Tsunade shook her head, "No, nothing like that. They actually worded it so they need _my_ approval, or a regent with full authority, like you, if I'm out of it for some reason. Any other substitute won't work. That's all fine, really, it's just... I worry we're growing too fast. It's almost too easy, don't you think? We've now been here, building rapidly and steadily, for almost a year. No one's attacked, only Suna even really came close. There haven't even been skirmishes, not really.

"It just makes me think... the other nations are _letting_ us get built up, feel secure, and then they're coming in to wipe us out again. This Act just... it makes me nervous. If we get too big too fast, they'll jump us earlier, before we're ready. If we take it slowly, maybe we could get the other nations so used to us being here as a small Village they'd overlook us until we have the strength to really defend ourselves, but..."

Jiraiya nodded. He'd been wondering about the same issues for the last few days while the matter had been up for debate. But to him, the pros outweighed the cons. Not for him personally. As much as a part of him might want another wife (think of the possibilities!), he wasn't one for commitment. If Tsunade hadn't been his only true love for his entire life, he _still_ wouldn't be ready to settle down, and he was getting closer to sixty than fifty. Still...

"There's Naruto to consider, though. With the Act, he can marry both his girls."

Tsunade shook her head, "That's good _and_ bad. I mean, he'd be happy, I don't doubt that. But what if the girls can't handle the jealousy? What if it creates problems in the home? I don't want that for any of them, especially not our kids. And there's more... they added one last-minute change that... well... honestly, I think Fugaku and Hiashi added it just to stress me out, but..."

"What is it, 'Hime? Out with it."

"It's... Sakura. They added a provision that any line with a _possible_ bloodline, but that didn't know for sure, could be voted on by the council to be _forced_ into the program. They could make my girl marry some ass she doesn't know, Jiraiya. They could let that ass rape my little girl every day, pop out kids left and right... she'd be useless as a ninja if that happened, all her training would be for nothing. And what would that do to her, and to Naruto?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "You're just worrying, 'Hime. You know that's not going to happen. Even if they tried... do you think Naruto and Sakura would let them get away with it? Do you think _I_ would? You can't fight them, you're the Hokage. _You_ have to abide by their decisions. Me? I'm not even a registered Ootori ninja. Technically, I'm still a Konoha survivor, and my registration number proves it- Eighty-eight-seventy-nineteen, just like always."

A little tension left Tsunade's shoulders as she leaned forward, a sudden glint in her eyes, "That's right, you _didn't_ register... well, Acting Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, how would your Village like to take on an S-rank mission for Ootori? I'll be paying you in the bedroom if you pull this off."

Jiraiya, having an inkling what Tsunade was planning- both for the mission and the payment- girnned. "Oh yeah, 'Hime. I'm with ya."

(O)(O)(O)

Several hundred- nearly a thousand- miles west-northwest, Naruto screamed. The sheer weight of dust and sand pressing down on his Chakra Cloak had hampered and hindered his movements for hours, but this... would that old man ever give _up_? It was bad enough fighting Yugito without killing her, but the Tsuchikage, too?

That was it...

A fifth tail started to bubble behind Naruto. _No more Mr. Nice Ninja... I'm stopping this fight _now_._

But just as the dust started to ignite from the heat his cloak was putting off now, an entire mountain of dust and sand landed on top of what was already there, smothering the flames and Naruto at the same time.

The three kunoichi prisoners, two blonde and one pink haired, each screamed in fear and denial as their hope was crushed beneath the combined jutsu of the Avalanche Guard, the personal guards of the Tsuchikage, and Oonoki himself.

But just before the Iwa ninja who'd been holding them hostage could end their misery, the semi-conscious Jinchuuriki of the Two-Tails returned to the fray, engulfed in white-blue flames that resembled a gigantic feline even more than Naruto's four-tailed cloak had moments before.

**A/N2:** Nine pages... could be worse, could be better, but at least you get some quantity with the quality.

As always-

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

**Glossary:**

**Avalanche Guard**: Should be pretty self-explanatory; it's just the name of the Earth-specialist elite/honor guard of the Tsuchikage. For purposes of this fic, though they aren't characters, assume Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi (or whatever the big guy's name is) are members. There's about 20, and they're basically the nearest analogue to Mist's Seven Swordsmen. Konoha did not have an equivalent, but if they did, it would be the ANBU captains.

**Dust Jutsu**: Oonoki's bloodline. It's unchanged- the Avalanche Guard weren't actually using it, they were throwing in small rocks and pebbles, grinding them together, and feeding Oonoki more fuel, all of which also adds weight and mass to the pile on top of Naruto.

**LLPA**: Limited Lineage Protection Act. It's... well, for lack of a more-recognizable description, the "Clan Restoration Act Mk. II". I think I did a fairly good job of explaining it, and this is the Act Jiraiya was hinting might happen to Naruto way back when he learned his father's identity- or, if my memory's a bit off, when he learned he would be learning it soon. The talk with Jiraiya during the "Intergender Relations" chapter. Short version: Any woman or man of a limited bloodline (a family with four or fewer living members, with none being further than second cousins- ie, if they are allowed to intermarry at all between the four it won't work- can take more than one spouse to keep the bloodline alive. There are limits to how many spouses, but as those are largely controlled by will and ability to support them, I didn't mention them in-story. They will be coming up later, I'm sure.


	43. Chapter 43: Phoenix Rising

**A/N:** I want to apologize for the wait again- it's been a bit more than six weeks- but I won't (much) for one reason: It'll be worth it, I think. And I have updated SOMETHING in that time (LB2 and Fallout:SOW both). Still- sorry it took so long. I had to scrap/put off the actual big fight because I've been sick and not in any shape to keep track of a FOURTEEN-way battle. That's what's coming up next chapter, though, and should be only that. It will be the actual climax- I was going to do it this time, but it would have been a huge chapter. It's already 10pgs single spaced. And frankly, you've waited long enough- however patiently (or not) doesn't matter. It's time. So-

Enjoy!

**Chap. 43 Phoenix Rising**

Through the pain clutching at her heart (which had, at least, drowned out the pain in her body), Ino watched closely, with the early pre-dawn light just beginning to brighten the city streets, while crews of Genin and Chunin moved the stone and dust- by hand- from the city street.

Beside her on her left and right were Temari and Sakura, respectively. The medic had sobbed herself to sleep a few hours before, but even now she occasionally whimpered. Temari, like Ino, was only staring at the small mountain that had been dropped on Naruto with dead eyes.

"You all right?" Ino asked in a low voice. The guards- several of the elite Avalanche Guard which had helped capture Naruto- had warned them not to talk, but they'd also been letting it slide as long as they were mostly quiet. The old Tsuchikage had, himself, left about two hours before, once he'd given strict instructions to the Guard.

The Suna kunoichi nodded slightly, and spent a few moments working one of her shoulders to relieve some of the tension in her back. All three kunoichi had been bound in finger-separating cuffs, behind their backs, and made to kneel on the street. How Sakura, despite her exhaustion and grief, had fallen asleep was beyond the Yamanaka. "He's alive, I think," Ino whispered.

For a moment, Temari tensed, then tried to relax, rolling her shoulders again. "How can you tell?"

Ino frowned, "I'm not really sure. I just... feel him. Like he's right at the edge of my consciousness, but we haven't got a link set up. I wouldn't have the chakra anyway."

On her other side, Sakura continued to sniffle while the sky grew steadily brighter.

As it did so, Ino's mind began to wander. How exactly had they gotten into this? They'd had the best of intentions; the very best.  
Saving a friend, and possibly another from a horrible fate. Saving the whole world, _everyone_, from slavery or worse. Whatever the Akatsuki were truly planning. Maintaining their way of life, keeping relative stability, preventing needless death...

Where had they gone wrong?

How could their noble intentions, their desire to do good, to protect, have turned out so badly? Many people, probably hundreds, had died in this attack on Iwa. Worse, they were being blamed for it, if the mutterings of the Avalanche Guard and the old Kage were any indication. That meant they'd be coming after Ootori soon, with or without the threat of other nations attacking Iwa while they were busy.  
No country could afford to take an attack like this in their own capitol and sit there, doing nothing. There _had_ to be reprisals. Any ninja worth the air they breathed would know that.

So not only had they gotten hundreds of Iwa civilians and ninja killed (would the Akatsuki even have unleashed Yugito in the heart of the city if their team hadn't been nearby and already fought Guren?), but now the entire Village they called home would die as a result, as well.

Despite trying to force her mind off that path, asking where they'd gone wrong led, perhaps inevitably, back to the recent battle.

(O)(O)(O)

_Ino's vision swam; the blow from the Iwa Jonin had struck her in the same temple where she'd been hit earlier. The first blow had knocked her unconscious temporarily, but Sakura had gotten back up a few seconds before they'd been separated. This second blow wasn't nearly as hard, but it compounded the first injury. No doubt she'd have a major concussion from both impacts. Moving on auto-pilot, the blonde crouched low and surged forward, foregoing the wakizashi she'd taken from a Chunin a few minutes earlier to throw her weight against the Iwa. Considering his armor, she doubted she weighed half as much as her opponent's total mass. Still, the blow both took him by surprise, and she'd spent a few weeks training with the foremost nin-taijutsu expert on the continent. As a result, Ino had at least the basics of his almost unique fighting style down pat. Really, she had a half-moment to muse as she twisted around the Jonin, Ei had been right. _

_Because despite the relative size difference between the Raikage and the Yamanaka scion (she was roughly the size of one of the man's huge arms), the style he'd been teaching her was very well suited for her flexibility and natural reaction time. _

_As a result, no sooner had the Jonin braced for full impact from the front by throwing his weight to the back leg and leaning forward, Ino's knee crashed into the back of his own, and as he began to fall, her whole body twisted itself around his waist, throwing the larger male backwards even as he collapsed downward._

_As she stood, Ino was satisfied to see the large pool of blood spreading from the remains of the man's head. It had fractured on a rock, true, but she'd also noted that his back had cracked in half on the way down, too. He wouldn't be getting back up either way._

_Temari, now that she had a chance to check on the other blonde, was panting, but still holding the last four Iwa ninja off. They, all Jonin, seemed to be both aware that the girls were running on fumes, and wary all the same. None had attacked them _en-masse_, which would surely have brought both kunoichi down in moments._

_What were they doing?  
They couldn't be stalling, not in the middle of their own city, could they?_

_Maybe ego? Could the ninja, Jonin, be embarrassed to need to team up against a couple of kunoichi cut off from support and already exhausted?  
"You kids did all right," a gruff voice called from above and behind Ino. As she spun, it continued, "but I got it now. Take this one, keep her alive. We're gonna need the bargaining chip... for now."_

_With wide eyes, Ino watched Sakura's limp form, bloodied, fly through the air between the diminutive old man and the Jonin they'd been facing off with moments before._

_Only after Sakura was 'safely' in the arms of the now-withdrawing Jonin did Ino notice the white and gray-trimmed battle armor and robes of the Tsuchikage himself._

"_Oh crap..."_

_The man smirked, "Couple'a cuties like you should just stay home, neh? Didn't need to go involving yourself in things beyond you. Now it's too late. You come into my home, unleash the Nine-Tails... you, and your sad Villages- both of them- are going down for this. Both your 'Phoenix' and the Wind will both see why nothing- nothing- is as implacable as the Stone."_

_Temari attempted another Wind Scythe, but the attack, lacking any kind of real bite, never even got close. A barrier of dust so thin it almost looked like heat haze stopped it half-way between the kunoichi and the old shinobi. "Not gonna happen, girlie. Stand down, or I'll _take_ you down. I only need one of you to calm the Nine-Tails down."_

_For a brief moment, Ino considered fighting regardless. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to get a single Mind-Destruction Jutsu off... but a glance in Temari's direction also revealed a swatch of pink. She couldn't put Sakura at risk, too. Naruto... well, she couldn't do that to him._

"_We surrender," she said, defeated.  
The old man only grinned cruelly._

(O)(O)(O)

It had begun, Ino thought, with their encounter with Guren, and later the strange plant-man she'd taken orders from. Or perhaps earlier, in Ishi, when Naruto had lost control of the Fox. But it was, she believed, much more likely to be Guren's arrival and combat that had led to Naruto losing control, needing so many tails- he'd brought out _six_, if her eyes weren't deceiving her in the moment before he was crushed beneath the dust and sand- to subdue or capture the Two-Tails' container.

And, she knew, Naruto was _good_. Trained by two of the best, most powerful, shinobi the world had ever seen. On par with any Kage, past or present. That put him, despite his youth, at least in the same league. But he'd been slapped down like it was child's play by the old man. Was it a weakness he'd been able to exploit? Or had Naruto, in his Kyuubi-induced rage, not noticed the attack until too late? He had been, she was aware, becoming more and more feral. But as well, while the night moved on (sleeplessly for her, though Temari had nodded off a few hours ago to join Sakura), she could still feel the presence of Naruto, right on the edge of her consciousness.

That he was alive, she was absolutely certain.

_But for how long? Once they dig him out of there... what are they going to do to him? To us?_

Those were questions for which Ino had no answer.

(O)(O)(O)

Far to the southeast, a dark-haired young man shivered. "Ugh... that was such unnecessary movement. Did someone walk over my grave, or something? Why do I have this bad feeling?"

But he, like Ino, had no answer... he only knew that somewhere, someone was in trouble, and hoped it wasn't him. Because him being in trouble was, not to overuse a word, 'troublesome'.

(O)(O)(O)

Half-way between the border of Tsuchi no Kuni, the Land of Earth, and Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Stone (it's primary ninja village), two Ootori ninja paused for a breather. "You... you set... a good clip, Kakashi."

The taller, silver-haired ninja nodded, "Don't be familiar with me, Uchiha-san. We are not on speaking terms, and if it were not for the mission, I would already have gotten the answers I want from you."

Apparently expecting both the cold tone and the harsh words, the shorter of the two men nodded, "Right... sorry, _Hatake-san_. I meant no disrespect."

Kakashi nodded, but said nothing. Instead, he glanced around the campsite, both sharp, dark-brown eyes scanning the thin trees with a practiced eye. "We'll rest here for five hours, then get a move on. We should make Iwa within two hours of dawn at that pace, one way or the other."

"And then?"

This time, the ex-ANBU stared at the shorter, "We extract the people we were sent after or die trying, Uchiha-san. We aren't leaving anyone behind. Not this time."

Any semblance of casual posture lef the shorter ninja at once. "I did _not_ abandon Rin, Kakashi."

"We are not having this discussion on a mission, _Uchiha-san_."

Nothing else was said for the remainder of the evening. Just after midnight, the two, without even a glance at each other, began to move quickly in the same direction they had been before. One was praying he would make it in time to save the last legacy of his hero, his sensei, and the man he still- and probably always would- think of as 'his Hokage'.

The other? Who knew?

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura dreamed. And in that dream, she experienced a few things that normal people don't. At least, not on a regular basis. It could be argued that several hundred people dream of being trapped, confined, against their will and for no good reason, on a nightly basis. As far as nightmares go, that is probably pretty common.

But how many of them dream of being trapped by thorny vines as thick as a horse- or larger-, with spines that dug into your flesh, sapping and leeching the lifeblood from you even while they held you flat to the ground, preventing any movement but the barest of breath and, if there had been anyone to talk to, quiet speech?

Oh, and the hatred. Hatred so powerful, so profound, that she didn't even _care_ that she was bound, so much as the what- the _who_- had bound her.

_That Man_. The tall (for a wormling fleshbag), gold-haired one, who looked _so_ like his current jailer... but that had his mother, his previous jailor's, eyes. And her personality, for the most part, which was if anything worse.

Hatred for the whole world, because that's what she did... she destroyed. Everything. All of it. Existence, unmade.  
That, as far as Sakura could tell, had been her purpose, her reason for existing, until she was bound. Now... now there was nothing but the hate, because it had no outlet, not release.

When she, at last, broke free (as she must, once the little vermin she inhabited died- of natural causes- no use risking herself if it came to some other course), she would have her vengeance on his family. His 'friends'. His everything.  
And then, once more, she would turn that attention back to the world... and wipe it all away.

Just clean, quiet, soothing _nothing_.

But no...

Sakura was not _it_.

Sakura was a medic, a healer, one who preserved life... and a woman, too, one who brings life into being.

She was not a destroyer (though she could, if she had to).

She was a creator, a nurturer.

Who's thoughts were these?  
Who's memories?

Oh...

That's right. Along with the tainted, corrupt, foul orange-red chakra that still snaked in little whisps through her chakra network, they had come... one dream, every night. No more and no less. They hardly brought sympathy, though, which was the only possible reason Sakura could think of for them. They were doubtless sent by the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, using his chakra in her system as a conduit. But _why_? She certainly had more sympathy for Naruto, if this was what the beast was like.

It had, she knew, reveled in his pain every time he 'paid the price' of their bargain. At least, before he cut the demon off.

But was it even a demon? What _was_ it, if not? Composed of chakra, certainly, but dense enough to have a physical form. Rather like a shadow clone, but hundreds of times more potent. Were the other Tailed Beasts similarly built?

And how did you kill an entity- because she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it _was_ life, after a fashion- with no permanent form?

Could they?  
_Should _they? What would be the consequences of that?

(O)(O)(O)

With a start, Sakura woke. She lay still for a few moments, trying to ease the cramp in her back and shoulders slowly, but the bindings she felt around them prevented any such relief. She could hear the sounds of digging nearby. _What's going on?_  
There were crews talking, mostly about work, but occasionally about the battle the day before.

_Oh, yeah... the battle. The Tsuchikage caught me right off the bat. He's pretty quick for a stumpy old man._

It had been over before she could even really fight back. Any effort to do so was further hampered by his first blow, which had knocked the wind right out of her. After that, she'd folded within seconds, been knocked cold in under a minute. She didn't appear _too_ injured, but she'd likely have at least a mild concussion from the blow to her temple. And she couldn't move her fingers at all, so no subtle healing. That left the only real option for the medic was to take stock, assess the situation, try and find _some_ way out of this mess.

She cracked one eye slowly. Directly in front of her was Temari, head facing away but turned toward her, sound asleep with arms bound behind her. To the other side, Ino knelt on the ground, head slumped down, but awake. Sakura could see tear-tracks, leaving her face streaked with dust but for the lines which had been washed clean. The blonde did not look up.

They were surrounded by heavily-armed guards, Sakura would guess at least Jonin. In the distance, over Temari's hip, she could see several dozen men carting away wheelbarrows full of dust and dirt from a large mound in the street.  
Where was Naruto? What about Yugito?

(O)(O)(O)

Temari, as well, dreamed. Her own was more violent than Sakura's, but at least brief- and, unfortunately, all-too-true. When Yugito Nii, the woman they'd come to rescue, had blown through the wall to impact Naruto's chakra cloak, she had thought they might get a moment's respite, perhaps a chance to escape. All they'd have to do was grab the unconscious Sakura and _run_.

But the Tsuchikage, perhaps anticipating that plan, yelled for the ninja surrounding them to hold off, back away from the battling Jinchuuriki, to capture the other girls- he'd handle them.

And so he did. Even though he'd already taken Sakura out, the old man was -somehow- able to throw enough dust and weight against the pair of Jinchuuriki that they were unable to effectively fight back against each other, much less him. Their movements became slower, chakra cloaks bled away, and moments before Temari felt the soft prick of a needle entering her neck from behind, she saw Yugito's blue cloak flicker and fall. Half a second later, the blonde was completely out, having suffered a catastrophic blow to the head from a fist of dust the size of a horse. If she(?she/he?) hadn't been a Jinchuuriki still, the Suna kunoichi would have feared for the older blonde's life after that hit.

As her vision began to fade due to the drugs she'd been injected with, she saw Naruto, with five tails sprouting from his cloak, shrug off hit and hit from the same, while far above him, a massive pillar of earth, dust, stone, and sand began to gather. He never seemed to notice, until right before it began to fall, that the rapid blows from the old man were merely intended to keep him in place.

Whatever his motives, the Tsuchikage apparently wanted the young shinobi alive.

(O)(O)(O)

Kakashi took a half-breath, forcing himself into a meditative state. Even while running, he would be able to at least conserve _some_ energy by doing so. His chakra levels were about half, but his body was flat-out exhausted after what essentially amounted to a three-day sprint cross-country. Behind him, about half a mile now, he knew Uchiha Obito still ran.

For just a moment, the happy-go-lucky, carefree and perpetually late Uchiha had Kakashi's pity for trying to keep up with him. Even when they were kids, Obito had never been the silver-haired Hatake's equal in physical skills. Now, as adults, it seemed that Kakashi's harder life had emphasized the difference even more.

Then, the scarecrow remembered _that day_, the day Obito had sacrificed Rin to save himself. The day their friendly rivalry had turned them into (at least on Kakashi's end) bitter enemies. The day the girl he swore he'd love forever- at least, he'd have sworn it if he could have worked up the nerve to say it out loud, to her face, rather than to his own bathroom mirror- had died, a wreck, shattered and broken by a landslide that the Uchiha had avoided with a simple _kawarimi_... using their other teammate as the focus. Any semblence of pity fled in a moment, and Kakashi immediately pressed on. He wanted to be out of Iwa, with Naruto and his team in tow, before Obito caught up. He wouldn't trust the snake at his back, no way.  
He'd already seen what happened when the chips were down, after all.

Fortunately, he was just reaching the outskirts of Iwagakure; the fields covering the gentler slopes of the huge mountain valley were starting to give way to more and more homes, even small shops, though they were still far distant from the center of the sprawling city.

"Just a few more miles..." he whispered to himself, before remembering he needed to save his breath for running.

It was good, perhaps, that Obito's chakra was getting harder and harder to sense in the distance. It was less distracting that way.

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura groaned as she awoke. Her head throbbed, as it had since she'd first started waking in fits and spurts. She, Ino, and Temari hadn't been allowed to move more than a few feet to piss in a bucket, which had been conveniently placed in the middle of the main thoroughfare of Iwagakure- with no cover, of course, in their efforts to humiliate their captives further- in almost two days, ever since they'd been captured.

As a result, their muscles- at least Sakura's- were spasming randomly more often than not, and cramping completely the rest of the time. They'd been given a single pint of water a day, and made to drink all of it at once. Anything they spilled or couldn't finish in a single go was wasted. And of course, there'd been no food.  
Why feed people you were just going to kill?  
The water, though, she could understand. After two days of no water, delirium set in, and they'd want their prisoners conscious and sane to get the full effect of the executions.

But why were they taking so long to dig Naruto out?  
The crews had been going non-stop for the entire two days, but the amount of dirt they were hauling out was smaller with every wheelbarrow. Some, she could see as they moved by, had only a single shovel-full.

It couldn't be that they were scared, could it? Yugito had been beaten down by their Tsuchikage after he and his Avalanche Guard had trapped Naruto under the mountain of dust and sand. It hadn't been any harder, as far as she could tell, with his battle against Sakura.

In fact, the lightning techniques and fire the cat-bijuu and her Jinchuuriki had been throwing around had been all-but ineffective against Onooki; the lightning grounded against the dust in the air before it came close, and the fire was blocked by simple walls of dust, which disintegrated immediately after to provide fuel for counterattacks.

Now, the blonde jinchuuriki was on the opposite side of the more friendly kunoichi, unconscious for two days straight, but just as bound as they were. She hadn't so much as twitched, aside from an occasional wrinkle of her nose.

Sakura sighed, then decided to take the risk of asking their guards a question. "What's the old fart even waiting for? Just get on with it, already."

The Jonin, behind Sakura, answered rather than the Genin or Chunin she'd asked. "He's almost ready... wanted to get a bit of a video setup ready. Works out nicely, 'cause the dust in the center of the hill's so compact, it's like digging through bedrock now. Until Tsuchikage-sama himself comes to remove the last bit, your boyfriend's not going anywhere."

Sakura frowned. Surely, if Naruto was still alive as Ino said, he'd be able to escape? Was he just biding his time? Perhaps he could feel Ino as she could feel him, and was waiting for the most opportune moment to break free?

Perhaps he-

"All right, all right," a gravelly, old voice groused, "I'm here. You get that vid-feed set up, I don't want nothin' to do with it. I'll take care of the theatrics, you just get the recording done. I got a gift to send to a little podunk Village in Hi no Kuni... and a warning for everyone _else_ that wants to mess with Tsuchi."

For a moment, Sakura felt a sense of paralyzing fear. Soon, though, that faded. What was death, to a ninja? They were bred, trained, for it, fought for it almost as soon as they could walk. She herself had taken dozens of lives, many just recently. Why should she get to escape it?

It was, after all, inevitable. Death came for everyone... what difference did the how and why make?

(O)(O)(O)

Fifteen minutes later, the old man's speech ended. As he gestured back, lifting more than a ton of dust out from the center of the crater which had been dug into the mountain of dust, he brought it forward to hang over the girls. While Sakura was sure Temari, if she'd had chakra, or perhaps Yugito, if she'd been conscious to defend herself, would be safe... the attack would certainly kill the already-immobile mentalist and medic.

"The time has come, citizens of Iwagakure! For days, you have clamored for vengeance, to repay those who would attack us with death for the lives they took!"

Temari winced. There would be a lot more death than just their own, because of this. It was possible Iwa might even dare to attack Suna... her father's gold-dust jutsu was probably equal in power to Oonoki's, but the older Kage had decades more experience and cunning to make up for Tanaka's relative youth. And despite the general higher quality of training in Suna, Iwa outnumbered them nearly eight to one.  
They, provoked like this, could probably smash the entire Village Hidden in the Sand to pieces before Kumo or Oto even knew they'd left their home relatively unguarded.

And that wasn't even considering the lives in the much smaller Ootori.

"- bring you the villains who attacked our home, who set loose _nightmares_ in our Village to destroy us!" Oonoki gestured toward the four kunoichi, "And where do they come from? They were their headbands proudly! Two from the upstart "Phoenix" Village, and one from Sunagakure itself! But the worst is the monster on their right... Some of you might recognize that little kitten from the Bingo book... her name is Nii Yugito, Jonin of Kumogakure, and Jinchuuriki of the Two-Tailed Demon Cat."  
Several members of the crowd which had begun gathering days ago gasped.  
Temari knew much of it was staged, how could that information _not_ have leaked throughout the city by now, with Nii and Uzumaki's battle?

"Here, then, is a warning to all those who would threaten the lands of Iwa and Tsuchi. Your Jinchuuriki have fallen easily, your instigation has failed... and we're coming for you. No distance, no terrain, no numbers or force of arms will protect you from the vengeance of Iwa. We will come at you from directions you least expect, and annihilate you for what you have done."

Temari shuddered. While it was possible that, after Suna fell, Iwa would attack Kumo, it was unlikely. Attacking by sea would be suicide, and going _through_ Oto would be even worse. Possibly, they could march from Suna northeast through the wilds of Hi no Kuni, but that would stretch their supply lines to the breaking point, and leave them wide open for a flanking attack by the Sound. No... either the old Kage was bluffing, or he had a more devious plan.

"But I have one more piece of news, because the Two-Tails being unleashed in our noble city was not the worst! No, we, the brave ninja of Iwagakure, were also able to subdue- far too easily for their comfort, I'm sure- the Jinchuuriki..."

Oonoki paused for effect, and stared directly at the camera, before saying in a low voice, "... of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

While, Temari knew, those in other nations who watched this recording would probably tremble with that knowledge, or disbelieve it completely, she knew the truth.  
Despite all of Naruto's power, and their backup, he'd been too hard-pressed. The boy who, in a moment of weakness, had wiped out an entire Village single-handledly (more or less), had been smacked down by the old Kage, who had then turned on Yugito and repeated the attack. All of this _after_ capturing Sakura, Ino, and Temari... all without, apparently, breaking a sweat.

Another handful of dust rose from the crater, and Oonoki smiled grimly, "And for those that would dare attack our home while on our mission of retribution... I feel I must remind you that _we_ still have our strongest Jinchuuriki to defend it. And he, noble man that he is, is more than up to the task."

Beside Oonoki, another old man wearing a three-pronged crimson helmet stepped up, giving a bow to the other, much older, ninja.

_That should keep Oto out... or at least wary._

"So, without further ado... let's get on with this. Our retribution starts now, with the execution of the very ninja who attacked! And as proof of Iwa's strength, we'll begin with the Nine-Tails himself..."

But when the third large pile of dust was lifted out of the crater, the hill of dust exploded, showering buildings, the sparse trees, and people alike with dust and strange, almost ichorous violet chakra.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino grinned. It was time, Naruto was fully awake now, and in control for the first time in two days. The Fox had been pushed back, and her hero, her friend, her one-day lover was coming...

(O)(O)(O)

Kakashi pushed on. The streets were almost empty, but he could feel chakra gathering near the center of town. That's where they'd be, because Oonoki had always loved a spectacle.

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura gasped. Without warning, without a chance to prepare, to defend, or even to blink, the old man who'd been announced as Iwa's remaining Jinchuuriki had been blown hundreds of feet up into the air and away behind her. But more amazing was that Oonoki had been lifted into the air so that he was eye-level with Naruto- At least, she _thought_ it was Naruto. The creature, or whatever it was, was both human and fox. Black-and-red, in almost tiger-like streaks (though they ran along the torso and limbs, rather than around), with bones covered in spikes along the back and outside of the limbs, almost like armor, down to the helmet of the fox-like head.  
But the hand which held up the Tsuchikage was very much human, as was the voice which came out from the thing...

At least, she hoped it was.

"You go to far, old man," it said.

Sakura gulped. It sounded almost like Naruto, really it did, and that should have been a reassuring sound. But... but it was not.

"You dare to presume to defeat me? The greatest, gutsiest, and most amazingest ninja to ever live?"

While she stared on in wonder and fear, Sakura's heart gave a great leap. To those who knew him best, those words were a lifeline.

_The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja_, or whatever the old pervert had called it, had had a profound influence on Naruto as he grew up, though Sakura herself thought it was a rather trite story. That the thing- whatever it was- used those words had to be a clue. At the very least, it was a glimmer of hope that, whatever he looked like, Naruto was in there, somewhere. And 'amazingest'? She, Shizune, and Tsunade had been trying to break him of saying it 'that way' since he'd been a toddler, almost. Of course, Jiraiya, curse him, had thought it 'funny' and 'cute', so he'd acted opposite... and as boys do, Naruto followed his male role model. Curse that old man forever!

But right now, it gave her that hope in spades.

"Naruto..." she breathed.

Around and behind her, behind all four kunoichi, the Iwa ninja guarding them drew weapons and prepared to defend their Kage, kill the prisoners (if ordered), or flee.

But the old man seemed to be having trouble breathing. He likely wouldn't be giving out orders until Naruto released him... which he seemed in no mood to do.

"Because I was fighting against Yugi-chan, you were able to sneak in one good attack. And you think that means you defeated me? You think this damned Fox inside me would _let_ me die? If I die, he dies. I don't think that's going to happen. If Konoha couldn't stop it, if my _father_ couldn't stop it without dying, what do you think you can do, old man? You faced the Yellow Flash in battle. With all your dust, with all your power... you failed against him. Just like you failed against _me_."

As the Naruto-Fox spoke, it sounded more and more human. But that last word was hissed, grumbled, roared, and said in such a way that the very stones which still lay strewn about the street from the battle days previous rattled.

Several ninja, of all rank, broke and ran just at the word. Sakura could understand- she loved Naruto, trusted him with all of her heart, but the sheer density of the chakra-infused hatred which rolled off the creature along with the word would have sent her into panic as well, if she hadn't been tied up.

With a cry, Yugito woke. She heard the older blonde whisper, "What's going on? Where am I?"

But before they could respond, a brightly-glowing arm of violet chakra sprouted from Naruto's back and, reaching large size, grabbed the elder kunoichi, hoisting her into the air.

Sakura worried for a moment about chakra burns. How was the old man still breathing, for that matter? But Yugito was deposited quite gently in front of Naruto, standing up and facing he and the Tsuchikage. "Yugi-chan, glad to see you're back to your self again."

The blonde blinked. "N- Naru-kun?"

The fox-head nodded, and Sakura could see white, sharply-pointed teeth behind the lips as they curled into what must have been a grin, but could just have easily been a snarl, "Yep. This is Oonoki, the Tsuchikage. He's the guy that smacked you around a bit- besides me, I mean. You want a shot at him, show him what a Jinchuuriki who isn't holding back can do?"

For a moment, Yugito stood motionless. "Uh... why are we even in Iwa? Last I remember was in Taki... And I'm not sure, but I think I _lost_ that fight."

The fox-head nodded, "'s what I heard. Long story, though. Take a shot or not. Either way, this old man's getting' the pain put on him today."

"Why?" Yugito asked, apparently genuinely curious.

Naruto-Fox's free hand pointed over Yugito's shoulder at the kunoichi she'd woken next to but not noticed in her confusion. "Them. He threatened my friends. If for no other reason. He _also_ threatened, if I heard right, Suna, Kumo, Oto, and Ootori..."

As he spoke, blue flames began to lick up Yugito's pants. As Kumo was mentioned, they reached her waist, before jumping up to her shoulders. By the time Ootori made the list, the kunoichi was already crouching down, the flames taking the shape of a feline spirit. "Oh, _yes,_" she purred, "I think I want some of that."

Somehow, Oonoki forced words out past Naruto's death-grip, even while he struggled to get free from three feet off the ground, "Never- Never happen! You- attacked- u-us!"

But the cat didn't listen. Instead, fiery claws raked upward just as Naruto's grip relaxed.

Unfortunately, the attack didn't connect. A member of the Avalanche Guard immediately used a low-power earth jutsu to throw the old man through the air away from the Jinchuuriki. Before his arc had started to curve down again, the Kage had gathered dust from the shattered hill of it and rode it further up, up into the air, far above the city.

"Crap," Naruto-Fox growled, "How're we gonna get him down now?"

Yugito-Cat shrugged, "Don't know, don't care," she purred, "there's plenty to eat here... and Neko-mimi wants to play."

Sakura couldn't help but snort. Neko-mimi? Who named their Bijuu "cat-ears"... when it was a cat?

But another interruption occurred just as Yugito pounced from the makeshift stage onto the Iwa Jonin who'd saved his Kage.  
It didn't come from the air, but from the street behind Sakura, Ino, and Temari.

A wave of rose-colored crystals in the shape of lotus blossoms sped through the air, downing several ninja in the initial attack. Sakura, Ino, and Temari were each grazed a few times, but since they'd been on the ground, escaped most of the damage.

"Hey, girlies, good to see you again!"

Any hope the medic might have felt at this sudden attack against Iwa vanished. "Guren..."

But the woman, even as she cut Sakura free from the bindings, spun her around.  
As their eyes met, Sakura gasped- because they slid away a moment later, falling on the five figures behind her. "I brought friends," the crystal-user hissed, "our leader thinks it's time for us to capture Iwa right now... because we can get not just two, but _three_ Jinchuuriki, since the old fool brought Roshi out of hiding!"

Ino, to Sakura's right, swore. There was an impact, something heavy, behind Sakura a distance off, but she didn't dare turn.

"Let me introduce my friends. This is Han- he's the _other_ Jinchuuriki from Iwa. He's on our side now, though. Oh, and fish-face over there is Hoshikage Kisame. That's Deidara, he captured the wind-bitch's brother if you don't recognize him. And this is is Zetsu, you've met but I don't think I introduced you. The other lady there's Konan. I think the group of us can handle a few distracted Bijuu, right? Especially since we have... hostages."

Sakura gulped. _Things are never easy..._

(O)(O)(O)

Kakashi sped up even further, ignoring the fire racing up his legs with every step. Those flashes of purple light, the sound of echoing explosions... they couldn't _possibly _be good news.

And that purple fire lancing into the sky? No... that couldn't be good either.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto streaked upward, but stopped moments before he crashed into the dust-flying Kage. "I don't get you," he growled. "Why'd you even send your troops after us? I was trying to _stop_ Yugito. You have to have known that, even if your grunts down. Are you _trying_ to let Akatsuki win?"

The old man sniffed, rubbed his nose, and glared (slightly) down at Naruto from his higher cloud of dust, "I don't have to answer to you, gaki. Let's just say there's more going on here than you know- and I'm not telling. If we're gonna fight, let's get it on. Otherwise, your girly friends are in a bit of trouble right now from some interlopers."

Naruto wanted to look down. He really did.

But who would fall for that, the oldest trick in the book?

When it became obvious he wasn't looking away, Oonoki shrugged. "Suit yourself. Let's do this, then."

**A/N2:** Again, sorry about the wait, but I hope you agree it was worth it. Quite a bit has happened in this chapter, and more that most of you probably won't connect just yet... and there's a glimpse, just the tiniest little hint, of what's _really_ going on... And it's not the more-obvious-but-still-relatively-subtle one either. Though related...

Anyway, thanks as always to my excellent beta, Mouse, who was nice enough to bug me to write almost daily for the last couple weeks (and more), and then get the chapter back within a couple hours- thank him for having it up tonight instead of tomorrow. :)

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

And on a side note, I am finding myself unable (now) to keep up with writing a full chapter every week. Frankly, work sucks. So for now, I'll be at two weeks- and if it's bad four- but I don't think I'll let myself go beyond that on a regular basis (current big chapters not withstanding). Hopefully that won't last forever.  
Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

**Akatsuki Members**: As listed in earlier A/N's, they are mostly unchanged from canon. Notable differences: Guren being a member, Han being a member. Han is the 4-tails Jinchuuriki, but is (in OH) a nihilist that wants to unmake as much of existence as he can. He sees Akatsuki as a means to that goal, and is perfectly happy to die doing so. Guren... she wants revenge on Orochimaru for abandoning her. More will be made known later.

And if I missed something, let me know (via PM or review) so I can fix it. Thanks. ;)


	44. Chapter 44: Grave of Stone

**A/N:** Yeah, it's been a while, my bad... again. Lol

However, the flip side of that is you get FOURTEEN PAGES of pure awesome. At least, I like to think so. :)

As always, thank my amazing beta, Mouse, for his timely and great work- and not just editing, but as an idea board as well. This story wouldn't be... well, it'd be at least 20% 'less good' without his help and input. ;)

Without further ado, here's the climax of the 2nd-to-last arc (just one more to go, folks!) of One Hour! Enjoy!

**Chap. 44** **Grave of Stones**

Temari surged to her feet with surprising grace and spread her legs, angling her body to face away from the obvious hostiles standing in a loose huddle a few meters down the street. She wouldn't be able to help Sakura; not with her hands tied behind her back, cramps up and down her body, and Sakura already in Guren's grasp. Ino... Ino wasn't even facing the group of black-robed figures. She was still watching the purple flame in the sky where, she knew, Naruto hovered.

Still, there was a chance, if a small one, that she could use a kunai from one of the Iwa ninja, or even Akatsuki, to sever the chakra bindings. After that, it'd be easy- well, easier- to take them off completely. If only...

"Let me go," Sakura growled.

Guren grinned cruelly, "Why, Pinky? Don't you want a hug? It must be so lonely, without your boy-toy around for three days. Or is it 'not like that'? Did he pick the blonde ditz, or the crappy wind-user instead?"

Again, Ino didn't respond, but Temari frowned at the crystal-user. Instead of replying verbally, though, Temari instead decided to change her tactics slightly. It was risky, very risky, but she'd already found out those crystals she created were razor-sharp. And they currently littered the area after her introductory attack against the Iwa forces in the vicinity.

As she started sidling slightly away, she saw the plant-man and the red-armored Jinchuuriki's eyes follow her, though neither seemed to think much of any possible threat she posed.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino finally decided, as Naruto began to move into a spin, using his tails to deflect a few dust-shuriken coming in from behind, that she should pay attention to what was around her. The Akatsuki, she knew, had arrived. She also knew they were the larger threat here, no matter what Oonoki, Yugito, or Roshi believed.  
She couldn't afford to let them off lightly; not after what they'd tried to do to Naruto's friend. Not after they'd almost killed Sakura.  
_At least that one_, she mused as she slowly turned, _got what was coming to him already. Now we just have to face down six more._

The forces arrayed against them were considerable, but Naruto, above them, was feeling quite confident. Could she be any less? Perhaps the Akatsuki members were S- or SS-class nuke-nin. That was no real big thing, right? She was a Clan Heiress, at the very least. And she'd begun, recently, to take training very seriously. In fact, she'd spent time being trained by a _Kage_. Even if her Clan jutsu wouldn't (likely) be very effective against ninja with the willpower these rogues possessed, they were likely to underestimate her, as well. "All right," she said as calmly as she could, even while slowly bending in an attempt to pick up a kunai from a fallen Iwa ninja, "I guess we should get started. You aren't taking Naruto today, I'm afraid."

But the damned kunai kept slipping from her nerve-less fingers. Maybe she should have waited for that speech until she had it in hand and her bindings were free?

(O)(O)(O)

Sakura was scared out of her mind. Certainly, she was worried for herself. A ninja they'd barely fought to a standstill, despite outnumbering her four to one a few days before, had her in an iron grip. She'd been forced to retreat not because she was losing, but because she'd been ordered to, and that had to grate on a woman of her skill's nerves. But far more than fearing for her own life, Sakura was worried for Naruto. Oonoki was bad enough, but here were six members, all S-rank or above in Ootori's bingo book, each intent on capturing him and sucking his soul out along with the monster he contained.

For her, it was just death. For Naruto...

And then, if he was captured and his Jinchuuriki removed, what about everyone _else_? What happened to the survivors, those who were left in the world after the Akatsuki had all that power?

Yes, Sakura was truly terrified. She was helpless, but they could _not_ fail. It just wasn't allowable. No matter what it took, even if they all died, if all of Iwa crumbled around them... better one large city than _all_ of them. Wasn't it? With a deep, almost shuddering breath, Sakura forced a tiny sliver of chakra into a knee and brought that knee upward as hard as she could into the crystal-user's stomach.

Despite that they'd been almost unable to lay a finger on the woman, much less scratch her, in their previous fight, Guren gave a grunt as the air was forced from her lungs. She dropped the medic and rolled backwards defensively. When she regained her feet, she leveled a calm but hateful glare at the younger kunoichi. "It's a testament to your skill and training that you were able to shatter my crystalline armor, girlie," she said, while brushing flakes of crystal so thin they didn't even appear rose-colored to Sakura from her stomach, "but it's just too bad for you that I can remake my armor in a moment, and it softens the blow a lot. That might well have killed a normal person."

Sakura nodded, "Shishio taught me well. Thanks for your respect- I have to give you some, too, because that would've not just killed someone, but forced their intestines out through their skull."

Guren smiled wickedly, but before she could reply, the tallest member of the team lay a large, blue hand on Guren's shoulder, "Hold on, there. I want a crack at this one, she's got... spunk."

For a few seconds, it looked like the crystal-wielder would object, but apparently the fish-faced man was more senior in Akatsuki, and could pull rank if he had to.

Fortunately for her, he didn't draw the large weapon she could see across his back. Unfortunately, his height probably gave him twice her reach anyway. This would not be an easy combat.  
But no sooner had the giant blue-skinned man rushed forward, leading with a shoulder to apparently bowl her over, than she saw the other members of their enemy's team begin to move as well.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino ducked under the purple-haired woman's kunai, and felt it rip a few strands of her long hair from her scalp with the speed of it's passing. Without a moment to breathe, she rolled backwards, trying to get a good grip on the kunai on her way by. Unfortunately, she missed, and had to stand a few feet further back from the tall, morose-looking woman completely unarmed. "Thanks for the warning, _bitch_," Ino growled, "and thanks for the handicap, too."

If she had been trying to goad the woman into anger (Ino herself was not sure), she failed miserably. Instead, the woman lunged forward a second time, the kunai moving in a mirror to the first slash. Again, Ino ducked, but not far enough. With hands moving so fast she could barely see it coming, the tall woman- Konan, she thought her name was- pulled the second hand from the seam of her robe and slapped a paper tag on Ino's forehead. At once, she collapsed. She could feel everything, including the pebbles digging into her cheek, could hear the grunts of combat nearby, and worst, the taller woman's calm voice, "There's my share. You guys finish cleaning up so we can get back to the base. We need to clear out soon."

(O)(O)(O)

Temari, seeing Ino fall, attempted to blow the paper tag off her forehead with a quick palm-released Wind jutsu, but the attempt was foiled by the appearance of a red-gauntleted fist a centimeter from her face.

In a blur, the tall red-armored man continued to pummel her, in the gut, the cheek again, spinning her around, a knee to her left thigh. As she tried to withdraw, he stayed right on her. This was not going as planned...

(O)(O)(O)

Yugito looked up from the Iwa Jonin's neck she'd just severed, and casually aimed it's spray of blood toward the remaining sixty or so ninja. Most of them didn't even react. Maybe these Avalanche Guards Iwa was so proud of were actually well-trained? There had to be _some_ ninja the Stone's mass-production training helped more than others, right? With a feral smile, she suddenly caused the body to immolate with blue-black flames and threw it with one casual flick of her wrist toward the largest cluster of enemies.  
Most scattered, but the unlucky few in the center were caught in the nightmarish fire. Their screams haunted the combat-strewn intersection for ten minutes before the demon-fire allowed them to finally perish. "Who's next?" she called, flicking the cat-like nails on her fingertips in and out, in and out, while she looked around with slit-pupiled brown eyes.  
A couple of the ninja broke and ran, but the majority regrouped into a reverse-wedge formation, obviously hoping to drive her back into the Akatsuki, who were busy behind her fighting against the kunoichi team her little itoko-kun, her cousin, had brought with him to rescue her. She'd be able to help them out soon enough, she thought, since, if she estimated right, only about a quarter of the total one-hundred members of the Avalanche Guard had both been present in the city when it had been attacked, and had survived the fighting since she had been set on the city by... by _that man_'s Genjutsu.  
"Come on, little brats," she muttered, flicking the claws out one more time and leaving them out this time, "let's get this over with so I can go play with the big boys."

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto would have liked to look down, to make sure his girls and his friend were all right, but Oonoki was keeping him all-too-busy, despite the gap in raw power between them. Apparently, age and guile really _did_ account for more than youth and vigor. At least, in this case, it made them about break even.  
The short old man was panting, but not overly so, and had apparently been able to uncrick his back within a few seconds of it's first twinge, mere moments after Naruto released him.

The fox-shaped, indigo-colored chakra cloak surrounding him had raised blisters all over the man's neck, but he had apparently suffered enough in his life to think little of the pain it must have been causing. With his right hand held out, two tails from the chakra cloak began to wave around it, forming a red-blue-and-violet-colored Rasengan, which came together surprisingly quickly. With his left, he held a combat kunai, one of the close-combat models. It was still throw able, like the standard, but larger and more reinforced. While the size and broader shape made it ungainly as a ranged weapon, they were favored as a last resort or melee variant for their sheer durability compared to the mass-produced throwing model. His was starting to heat to uncomfortable levels from the energy he was flinging off simply by keeping the cloak up, but there was nothing for it. It wouldn't hurt him for now, and it was useful for dispersing the dust attacks the man kept flinging at him from every direction but those he was expecting an attack from.  
But maybe that was the secret to defeating him...

(O)(O)(O)

"Trade up, Temari!" Sakura called, and before the Akatsuki members currently thrashing them in melee combat could react, the two had performed a simultaneous kawarimi. The blonde's new fan- recovered from what must have been a wind-specialist in Iwa's forces- was only a single-hand model, but would serve better than any other weapon she could find short of the large battle fan she had brought with her. With it closed, she was able to stop- just barely- the giant man's fist from crashing into her head. A kick to his thigh didn't so much as make him flinch, but did serve to get her away from his reach a little faster than she might have other wise done.

Flicking the defensive weapon open as she moved, Temari shouted, "Fūton: Kami Oroshi!" While the resulting blast of air was underpowered compared to her norm, the fan at least allowed the wind-specialist to use the jutsu without hand-signs, and was still enough to visibly ripple the air with it's passing.

However, that was not enough to halt the giant man's incoming self. It did throw it, as well as push Temari further away, but it bought her only a few moments' time. She would have to try something bigger, something... more.

Another upward slash, accompanied by a cry of "Fūton: Kamaitachi!" served to cut a few slices into the man's face, forcing him to a halt. After he'd stopped, he took a moment to grin, licking the blood from his face with a long purple-gray tongue, "Not bad, girl. You don't have as much as Pinky, but you got some spunk yourself. Let's see how your air serves against my water techniques, huh? Suiton: Mizu Kamikiri!"  
A rumbling under the ground was Temari's only clue. She leapt backwards with another fan-assisted jump, but had to move to the side immediately after touching down, as a jagged line traced outward from Kisame's position to where she'd been moments before, and continued on down the street for several blocks. Water spouted up from the fissure for a few seconds after it's passing, before settling down into the crevice he'd created with apparent ease.  
"Not bad," she muttered, unbelieving that he'd been able to create that much water so easily, and with such high pressure, "not bad at all. How about _this_? Fūton: Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!"

The second whirlwind of razor-edged wind actually threw the giant man back several feet, but his grin only widened. He seemed to have been more ready all the same, and escaped without a noticeable increase in cuts to his flesh. "Heh, you're just getting me warmed up, girl. Your daddy back home's gonna be sad when he finds out I've taken you back to our hideout for some fun afterward. You ever had seafood? Well... when I'm done with you, you'll have had all the fish you can eat."

Fighting the urge to wretch at the innuendo (which was more than she could ever have wanted to hear), Temari frowned. How tough was this guy? Not even her father or Gaara was totally immune to the Greater Wind Scythe!

(O)(O)(O)

From her position of either vulnerability or safety due to being underestimated, Ino used her limited vantage point to plan. The three who'd attacked her and her friends after Konan had backed off were all apparently front-line fighters. The taller was nearly as large as Ei, though not as massive. The sword of his had to be one of the legendary blades from Mist, which made this Kisame one of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist. Probably the single most dangerous of them, if she had to guess. Though Han, the red-armored man who was (as far as she could tell using just her ears) pummeling Sakura was likely a close second. The Tailed Beasts were nothing to sneeze at, and the four-tails was probably a lot stronger than the two-tails. And she'd seen first-hand what Yugito could do.

But why were the others, the plant-faced man, the blonde that resembled nothing more than a hideously man-like (she wasn't sure) version of herself, and the one who'd paralyzed her standing there? What were they waiting for, a silver platter? If they had just attacked in full, they'd already have won.

What were they _doing_?  
But their foolishness in waiting, allowing some members of their team to go one-on-one against her friends would be their undoing.

Kisame was a water-type, that much was obvious, but her chakra-sensory skills were usable even if she couldn't move, and she could sense the sheer level of energy rising off of him. It wasn't as much as Naruto, not with that cloak burning away, but it was more than comparable to what Yugito was throwing off right now. He was a true powerhouse, no doubt about it.

Han was probably similar in strength, though since he was using pure Taijutsu it was hard to get a read.

Zetsu... why did the strange plant-man resemble her father's chakra signature? That couldn't be right... there was no way her father was in league with these monsters. It had to be a trick. The ability to hide or mask one's chakra as another was difficult, extremely so, but not unheard of. It was not outside the realms of possibility for this strange black-and-white shinobi to masquerade so fully as someone else. At least, she didn't think it was.

Deidara, if she got his name right, appeared to be growing bored. He was only watching with his one visible eye, while he stifled a yawn with the other. Unfortunately, that meant that, aside from the scratched-out Iwa headband and his own uncanny (and frightening) resemblance to herself and her father, she could glean little from him.

Guren, she felt, had been thoroughly analyzed. The crystal jutsu was incredibly adaptable, but as Sakura had proven, not invincible. She appeared a little annoyed she'd been told to back off, but was obeying the man, who appeared to be her superior.

But Konan... why was the woman watching, not their own fights, not even Naruto's, but the street to the west of their location? What was down there that had her interest?

She didn't have time to worry about that. She had a seal to burn out... and fortunately, she knew just how to do it. It wouldn't require any movement, even... just a slightly different version of the Leaf-Stick chakra exercise... and a little bit of heat from that chakra.  
_Okay, Ino-girl, here's your chance to make a real difference in this mission. Time to save the day. First step, get free. Second, back up Temari. Third, back up Sakura, and we can hopefully get out of here with Yugito and Naruto in one piece... Here goes nothin'._

(O)(O)(O)

Kakashi, without slowing, slid his combat kunai through the Iwa chunin's throat and continued on. He was five steps away before the body started to fall, fifteen before it hit the ground. He never noticed, in the growing chakra-field he'd just passed into, Obito's chakra disappearing from behind him.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto buried the third Rasengan into Oonoki's gut. The old man hurtled a hundred meters or more away, but was back within seconds. He was grimacing in pain, yes, but the old man was a fighter if nothing else, and Naruto had to respect his drive to not give up. "You'll have to do better than your demon-tainted whirlyball to stop me, boyo!"

Just before the two connected, a blast of incandescent fire streamed between them. For a moment, both looked down.

Standing on a boulder hovering about a dozen feet below the pair was a tall man in a red helmet with three rounded spikes jutting out like a head-dress.  
"What do you want, Roshi?" Oonoki grumbled.

The other man, who Naruto could tell from the feeling in his chest was Iwa's other Jinchuuriki, frowned at his Kage. "Look around you, Tsuchikage-sama. Your Village is falling into ruins. Just two attacks from those nuke-nin have devastated the largest intersection in the city, and you stand here playing games with this boy? You have better things to do than this."

Oonoki frowned, "I think you'd better think again about who you're talking to. Have you forgotten who your leader is? I don't need you of all people telling me how to do my job."

Naruto's eyes rolled. Surely the old man, even after taking a beating like this, was taking him seriously by now? If not... well... he was fairly sure he could manage seven tails like this. It would stretch his normal chakra to the limit, but by fusing the chakra-chains with his cloak, he was able to contain the Fox's malice almost completely, allowing him to use the chakra almost as if it was his own. That, of course, meant...

"Fūton: Kurenai-Rasenshuriken!"

The six or seven seconds the two men arguing had bought him was enough for Naruto, with the help of six tails, to completely form his most powerful offensive jutsu without being bothered, and infuse it during creation with the malignant chakra from the Nine-Tails.

The resulting attack left his hand with a high-pitched whine, which impacted the old man with a boom that shook the entire Village Hidden in the Stones.

At first, it almost appeared as if the ancient Kage's dust-armor would protect him, but within seconds, the wind, poisonous chakra, and normal chakra, vibrating and spinning at hypersonic speeds, cut through the old man completely, before continuing on, unimpeded, toward the city below.

Part of Naruto was horrified at what the attack had done. In training, the Rasenshuriken had annihilated, obliterated, anything it had come in contact with. He'd thought, with the Kyuubi's chakra added, it might just get through the old man's protection.  
But this...

As the two halves of the old man fell to the ground, blood streaming from each, Roshi looked up at Naruto with a grimace, "Did you have to do that, boy? Tch, fine... I guess it's too late now. I'm surprised he didn't get an Earth Clone off, but... too late, like I said. Come on, I'll help save your friends, then we gotta get out of here. I don't want those thugs taking me, either."

Surprised by the Iwa shinobi's offer to help after just killing his Kage, Naruto blinked twice, then nodded. He looked down, then, and gasped in horror.

Sakura was losing.  
Ino was losing.

Temari was losing. This was not good...

And three more members of the Akatsuki were just standing there, watching them fight. Well... one of them had her eyes glued to the red-helmeted man hovering on his rock next to and slightly below Naruto.  
"Come on, brat, let's get a move on," Roshi called, then caused his rock to vanish with a click of his fingers. As he plummeted to the earth, the man made a few hand-signs, and called out with a roar holding surprising rage given his calm words just moments before, "Yōton: Yougan Kanketsusen!"

(O)(O)(O)

_Few more seconds... just a few more lines. I can do this... don't notice me for just a few seconds-_  
Ino, of course, was still laying on the ground, vulnerable to a stray weapon, or worse, a deliberate attack from... well, almost anyone taking part in the multi-faceted battle. But the seal the purple-haired woman, who'd been introduced as Konan, had slapped on her forward was already starting to smoke. A few moments later, and she'd be free, at least to get up and move again.

If her gamble worked.

She'd been deliberately slower than her full speed, and would have to step it up a notch now. Maybe even go all-out. She couldn't afford to take risks any more, and it was unlikely that anything except her absolute best would put a damper in the powerful enemies ranged against them.

"Hey, Konan, why'd you put an explosive tag on that girl's head? Though I like your idea of body-art. Hn."

Inwardly, Ino groaned. Leave it to the one who (arguably) looked to be dumbest of the lot- and the only blonde of the group- to be the one who noticed.  
"What? I didn't-" the woman sounded genuinely confused, but caught herself up to speed quickly. "Get back! It's her doing!"  
Almost as one, the Akatsuki members who'd been mostly standing around watching the others fight scattered in a half-circle, all away from Ino. The closest, Guren, was about thirty yards away. That should be enough time, since, as far as she could tell, the fight between Temari and Kisame was about half that distance behind her.  
Performing a rather graceful (if she'd had time to analyze it) back bend up, Ino ended with a twist, facing the blue-skinned giant, who was looking away. Temari herself apparently hadn't noticed, that was good. Less chance of a tell.

Before Guren or Konan could warn off the former Swordsman of the Mist, Ino crouched and leapt forward, covering the entire distance in a single chakra-powered leap.

(O)(O)(O)

"You'll have to do better than that, little girl," the armored man growled, his voice oddly distorted by the face mask he wore. While speaking, he continued to trade blows with Sakura, who was being scalded with every blocked strike. His armor was not just red, but red-hot. Even without actually using any of his dangerous steam jutsu, he was winning the fight on attrition alone. As long as he kept pressing the offense, she would eventually wear down. She had to change the paradigm of the battle... somehow. The others were relying on her, no one else could patch up the wounds they would doubtless have. Is this what Tsunade had meant by her being the most important member of a squad?

Probably so.

Still, it wasn't like she had a lot of choice. The guy would not stop for even a moment! How much stamina did he have, that he could move so quickly with that bulky armor (and steam engine?) without pause or growing weary?

"Better than what? Half-assed? I guess I can turn up the heat a bit. Katon: Yose Hageshii Kasai!"

Han snorted as he heard Sakura call out the Fire Release, and grumbled about being underestimated. As the heat began to gather and swirl around Sakura, he called, "Girl, don't you get it? I use steam. It's fire and water. I'm all-but immune to heat because of it, and my armor absorbs it, too. What do you think that'll do?"

Sakura only frowned grimly. But as the air around her started to shimmer, and then the heat waves began to expand away from her, she took a more ready stance in preparation for launching the attack. "This technique? It's the only Fire jutsu I know. It's not my nature, after all. But hey, I'm a medic. It _is_ my nature to support my comrades, and one of my team-mates _is_ Fire-natured. This one I'm using? It isn't designed to be an attack," she continued, now panting and occasionally wiping sweat from her brow, "It's just designed for one purpose- to supercharge fire jutsu."

Han snorted again, "So you're making me stronger so I can bake you faster? I guess, if that's what you want. I don't mind giving you a quick death, now that you've seen the futility of life."

Temari was dimly aware of what Sakura and Han were doing, since their fight had apparently stalled while the two talked to each other, but had no idea what the rosette was actually planning.

One of the Akatsuki members, however, seemed to.

"Han! Take her out, _now_!" The plant-man had said it, and in doing so, gave Sakura her target. The one who most feared the heat she was generating. It wouldn't be the one immune to it, no... though he was a target all the same.  
Still, Sakura was exerting every bit of chakra she had into the jutsu, this would be her last gamble. One more chance to take one of them out with her. Maybe two, if she did it right and Temari, Ino, or Naruto were able to capitalize on her strategy. Maybe...

Han, listening to his superior's cry, swung both arms forward, aiming the nozzles beneath each wrist directly at Sakura. "Yugeton: Yuni Kurai Seikyo!"

But whatever the impressive-sounding name had been linked to, nothing came from the two tubes except a trickle of slightly-steaming water.  
"Wh- What did you do, girl? How did you stop my jutsu?"

Almost impossible to see, now, through the rapidly-swirling air currents around her, Sakura laughed. The voice, to her, was comically distorted. But she did her best to answer anyway, while refocusing on her next target. "I sucked all the heat out... including the heat in your furnace. It's just hot water, now... and all that heat's... going..."

The wave of air closely resembled the last water jutsu Kisame had used against Temari. The effects were similar, too. In a jagged line between Sakura and the strange plant-man, Zetsu, the ground exploded upward and outward as the heat made each brick in the line expand rapidly.

Zetsu tried to jump clear before it reached him. Fire was, after all, his natural enemy. Unfortunately, he had failed to correctly judge just how quickly the heat was moving, and how rapidly it spread as the thermal energy moved further away from the medic's chakra-control.

The air, nearly hot enough to burst into flame on it's own when near Sakura, had cooled considerably in that twenty-meter distance.

But not enough to spare Zetsu from excruciating pain as he caught fire. Within moments, a now-panicking Guren had covered the plant in crystal, choking out the flames, if not cooling Zetsu. At once, Konan ordered her to retreat back to the base with their ally in an effort to save him. Apparently, if Sakura's ears did not deceive her, the plant-man was integral to the success of their greater plan.  
"Good," Sakura whispered, "I hope that slows them down, then. Now if I can just get up the energy to fight this guy in Taijutsu..."

(O)(O)(O)

Temari was in trouble. It wasn't that Hoshigaki Kisame was incredibly dangerous (he was), or that his sword was much longer than her second-hand fan (it was), or that he had chakra to rival Naruto with a few tails sticking from his rear (he did). It was mostly that Kisame had, somehow, removed most of Temari's chakra with a single touch of the sword.

After he'd made a show of unwrapping it for her, giving her a chance to marvel at the spiked surface, and the rather disturbing mouth at it's tip (which she could have sworn was muttering and cheering about a chance to eat), he had struck one blow- just one- against a target that should have caused minimal issue. Her left hand, the non-dominant one. It had only grazed her, though the rough protrusions had scored what would likely be a nasty scar later into the back of it.

But ever since, she had just been so... _tired_. There was no discoloration, no swelling, so it wasn't poison. But something had definitely happened. She should not be this week... She would have to try something else. Something...

(O)(O)(O)

Just as Zetsu burst into flames, Ino lunged forward. Her attack was slightly off, she hadn't been close enough to get a good judge of the man's height, which was considerable.

Still, she was able to mostly adjust at the last second. Instead of tackling his waist from behind, the blonde threw all of her weight at the back of his legs.

"Whu-" the big man had time to exclaim, before he hit the ground with a crash. Ino heard Konan instruct Guren to take Zetsu back to the base as she flipped to her feet. She spared the exhausted Temari a glance, just one, as Kisame leapt to his feet with a scowl.  
"Temari, go back up Sakura. She looks as exhausted as you are. I got this guy."

The blonde's look of disbelief was nothing compared to the fish-man's, but with a reluctant nod, she moved away, keeping an eye on the giant as she went.

"So," he said after taking her measure for a few moments, "All three of you are spunky, huh? That's good. That blonde brat must've had some fun, he won't die alone and a virgin, at least. And lucky me, I get to fight with all three of you, for a second at least! So, girly, what tricks do you have, besides coming from behind- with excellent timing, I might add- and burning out master-work fuuinjutsu?"

Ino only shrugged, grinning, "Well, you could say I'm... uniquely trained. Out of all our current team, I'm the only one with any real experience fighting big guys. I think it'll pay off. Wanna find out?"

Kisame smirked, and threw his giant sword onto the sheath at his back again. "Sure. Pick your style?"

Ino grinned, "Pure taijutsu. How's that sound? No chakra, just fists, feet, and so on. No weapons or tools, just my body against yours."

Kisame apparently didn't catch the innuendo (not that Ino had intended it to be one), because he was laughing too hard at the very idea this teenaged ditz of a blonde- half his height and maybe a third his weight- could rival him in hand-to-hand. But still, it was a formal challenge, and as a Swordsman (former or otherwise), Kisame had some sense of honor, at least.

"All right, girly. You bastards better stay out of this," he called over his shoulder. None of the other Akatsuki bothered to respond, but when Kisame had turned his beady little eyes back toward Ino, his grin was positively shark-like.

She repressed, barely, the shudder of what his teeth would do to her flesh if he decided to employ the doubtless razor-sharp things. Instead, she took a stance that had been drilled into her by her most recent sensei, over and over, brutally.

Legs spread wide, hips low to the ground, arms toward opponent, but held loosely. Body angled just slightly. "All right, big man, show me what you got."

Still grinning wildly, the most feared of the Seven Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist charged down the scant few meters between himself and the barely five-seven girl in front of him.

(O)(O)(O)

Han's lacquer-armored hand struck Sakura across the face, sending her sprawling. She had put too much into the last jutsu, drained nearly every ounce of chakra she had. If she'd gone even a moment further powering the jutsu, it would have killed her. Not doing so, however, at least bought her a few more moments of life, of knowing Naruto and Ino were still alive.  
So, unable to keep up with the armored Jinchuuriki (who, while slower, was still far faster than her exhausted form could move), she had taken several hits in a row. But, seeing Han's arm cocked back for another blow, Sakura was determined to meet him head on. She firmed her stance, readied for the attack.  
His arm clenched, the fist started to move.

Sakura started to bend at the waist, hoping to use her smaller size to duck under the giant man's reach.

But at once, he corrected, increasing speed as he did so.  
She would be too late. The fist was now coming in at incredible speed; he must have been using the Bijuu inside him to power it, now that the pseudo-mechanical enhancements of his steam-powered armor were useless.  
The gauntlet was three inches from her face when the arm was severed completely from the hand, gauntlet and all, by what appeared to be a slash of lightning.

"Raikiri!"

(O)(O)(O)

Yugito allowed the last three Iwa shinobi to come at her at once. It wasn't like they were a threat, not any more. She'd whittled them down from nearly fifty to just these few, the rest having been terrified enough to flee, maimed, or killed.

But even the three last remaining ninja, arguably the strongest of the Avalanche Guard, weren't going to be enough for her. She had two tails extending from her pelvis, both blazing with black-blue light, just like the chakra shroud surrounding the rest of her. The heat was intense. Not that she could feel it, the only clue for her was the sizzling of now-dead flesh as she walked past the corpses of those she'd left behind. The Two-Tails Jinchuuriki was aware of incoming chakra sources, but was no more concerned about them than she was of the current three opponents. They were marginally stronger, but there were only two. And this late in the game, they were likely all Iwa had to offer. It was just a matter of time, now...

"Come on, then," she whispered sibilantly, "come to your deaths. Come pet this kitty... if you dare."

One of the remaining Jonin turned and ran, spooked by the sinister tone of Yugito's voice. The remaining two, though, charged at once. One, a yarijutsu specialist by his stance and weapon choice, came in from her right wielding his long spear expertly. The other, a ninjutsu type apparently, unleashed a devastatingly rapid-fire barrage of stones, each as large as her head, from the ground around them.

The spearhead melted six inches from her body, and lost it's momentum.

It's shaft fared worse; it caught fire at eighteen inches, nearly being reduced to ash in a moment. The Jonin wisely dropped the ruined weapon and moved to full retreat. There was nothing he could do right now... even Hoshigake Kisame's near-legendary ability to produce water would have a hard time dealing with the heat of her passage- though Han would probably appreciate the subsequent generation of steam, if Kumo's knowledge of Iwa's jinchuuriki was accurate.

The rock barrage? It struck home, but like all of the Bijuu containers, Yugito was far hardier than an average human. Even super-heated to the point of glowing, the stones did minimal damage, almost as if they were thrown by a small child instead.

"Mmm... play time's over!" she cooed, flexing her long, cat-like nails menacingly, "At least for you... my play time's just starting!"  
She lunged forward. Unfortunately for her, the Jonin attempted to dodge in just the wrong way. The end result was that, instead of simply clawing his face, she impaled his throat with four of her clawed fingers.

Yugito couldn't bring herself to care, however. There were still those two more incoming, and several members of the organization which had kidnapped her to deal with...

(O)(O)(O)

Kisame, for a brief moment, registered a rather intense feeling of surprise before the wind was knocked from his body.

Somehow, and he wasn't quite sure how it had happened just then, he had gone from lunging straight for the girl's throat (because he knew they were in a hurry, and taijutsu duel or not, he was obligated to end it quickly), to flat on his back, panting for breath that didn't seem to want to come.

Worse, before the tiny slip of a blonde had let go of his arm, she had twisted it hard enough to pop his elbow out of place.  
And, well, that hurt. Not as much as his pride would, if his partner had seen, but...

"You're slipping, Kisame," Deidara crowed with laughter from a dozen or so feet away.

Blue face tinting, the swordsman yanked his hand away from the girl. She, wisely, let go. Or perhaps his arm, nearly as massive as her whole body, was simply too strong for her to hold against his full force. The pain in his elbow almost made him wince, but he was indeed one a former Seven Swordsman, and was made of sterner stuff than your average shark-man.  
"Heh, not bad, not bad," he muttered, attempting to pop the elbow back in. It took a few moments, but went in just as the girl started moving toward him.

She had a strange expression, he noted, some combination between confidence and nervousness. One he himself could vaguely remember, from when he'd first been told he had qualified for the Swordsmen. Ah, those were the days... days when he got to kill often, hunting down those with bloodlines (despite being a rather obvious example of the same) at the behest of his Kage, back before the actual purges started. Yagura had been strange that way.

In fact, Kisame had rather enjoyed forcing the man to surrender his Bijuu before they could kill him and take it themselves, even if it had resulted in more work for the Akatsuki. He'd been a right bastard, after all. And coming from Kisame... that was saying something.

He expected another grab for his arm, especially since he had both extended, hoping she'd take the bait. Because he was not rushing her this time, Kisame would be able to lift her from the ground with one arm, and grab a leg or the other arm with his second, effectively neutralizing her for the fight.  
At least, that had been his plan.  
Instead, the girl had suddenly dropped to one knee and headbutted him, as hard as she could, and that enhanced by her forward momentum, right in the crotch.

His small eyes rolled slightly upward in agony-induced autonomic response, but his training had indeed been superior to the average. Before she could halt her momentum (or, as it seemed she was trying to do, slip between his legs instead), Kisame's hand lashed down and grabbed the thick shock of golden hair, yanking her up into the air.  
"That kind of hurt, you little bitch," he growled, holding her inches from his face, while revealing rows of jagged, shark-like teeth, "so I think I'm going to have to take you back home and make sure you hurt the same way... only I won't be using that kind of head-butt, if you know what I mean."

Despite her own pain and the tears forming in Ino's eyes- being held up by your hair alone is not a pleasant experience for anyone- she was able to bring both legs up around his already-wounded elbow and _pull_.

This had two effects: the first, his elbow, locked to hold her up, cracked. Second, she took the weight off her hair, allowing her to instead use one hand to withdraw a kunai from her waist-strap and slash across his wrist, the other to attempt to slap his hand away from her head.

The latter was the only action which didn't succeed, if only because he had yanked his arm back after the double assault.

Now hanging upside-down from his broken arm, Ino used the opportunity to stab three times, quick as a cobra, into Kisame's thigh.  
With a roar of pain, the blue-skinned ninja whirled around, broken arm extended, and flung the girl away from him. She landed against his partner, Deidara, before tumbling to the ground. The taller blonde only laughed and pushed her back toward Kisame, "Ha ha! Best I've seen anyone do against Kisame in years! You go, girl!"

For a moment as she righted herself and shook the cobwebs away, Ino debated throwing an attack against the much-nearer Akatsuki member behind her. That, she decided, was not a good idea. Involving someone else in their duel would likely bring retaliation. She was surprised he hadn't pulled the giant sword from his back already, since she'd used a kunai against his wrist and leg.

"All right, Blondie," he said through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed dangerously and one hand held to his bleeding thigh tenderly, "you just broke the rules."

_Crap, I was hoping he'd let it slide..._

"You don't hit a man in the jimmy. It's not cool."

_Is he really more concerned about that? At least I didn't use the senbon I keep in my headband on him there! … and why didn't I? Stupid, Ino! Could have taken him out with the poison on that one! Right to the femoral artery? He'd have been down in seconds!_

"I don't remember any rule like that. My Sensei taught me to win, no matter what."

Behind Kisame, Ino watched his blonde companion start to laugh again, while the purple-haired woman with the origami flower in her head only watched dispassionately, though her attention seemed split evenly between all three of the current fights, and the combat above, which, if the sudden cessation of the chakra signature she'd identified as Oonoki's was any indication, was about to either end or change completely.

And if it came down to it, was Naruto really strong enough to take on two Jinchuuriki in a row, with a Kage between? And then what of the Akatsuki? They had to get out of here... it had to end now.

"Fine," Kisame said, now smiling evilly again, "you ex-Konoha types are all the same. Spouting about honor and all that crap, but look who broke the rules first- written or not. You wanted Taijutsu, but you pulled the first weapon. You had the cheap shot against a man's most precious possession. Honor... you ain't got none, girly. You'll still make a nice plaything 'till you're worn in, though."

Almost casually, he reached up one hand to grab the handle of his massive sword. The bindings fell away as it moved forward with blurring speed to stand between them.

It chittered, shivered, revealing the hundreds- maybe thousands- of shark spines which made up it's length. The end split, showing itself to be a mouth, again filled with jagged teeth.

"Crap," she muttered. No weapon in her arsenal came near approaching the reach of the sword itself, not counting the man's long arm. At least, she noted, his broken one seemed to be held at his side, so he wouldn't be using the thing two-handed.

_Not that he needs to..._

Still, Ino had no choice. It had to end, even if it cost her her life. Naruto had to get out of here, so she'd put Ei's training to good use one more time, and do her best to take him down with the one plan she had, the one chance.

After all, surely he wouldn't expect a second headbutt?

But before she could start moving, a shout from an unknown voice got her attention.

The newcomers had arrived.

"Raikiri!"

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto watched, amazed, as the silver-haired man he only recognized in passing from Ootori cut the hand from his fellow Jinchuuriki almost effortlessly.

With a swift spin, the tall man brought up one leg in a wide crescent, catching the still-shocked man across his armored face, sending him sprawling to the ground. "Haruno Sakura! Yamanaka Ino! Uzumaki Naruto! You are to regroup fifty meters south of this position _immediately_, and prepare for extraction!"

For a brief moment, all combat ceased. The remaining members of the Akatsuki stared at the newcomer with surprise written on every face but the purple-haired woman's. She, as always, remained cool and impassive.  
The red-helmeted man who was following Naruto toward the battle paused alongside the blonde young man. He knew that face... knew the hair, as well. Hatake Sakumo was... well, not a friend, but as friendly a bitter rival from the last great ninja war could be. "So," he called, breaking the sudden silence, "you're the son of the White Fang, huh?"

Apparently surprised himself, if the tiny widening of his eyes was any indication, the younger man nodded once. "I am. If you don't mind, who's asking?"

Roshi gave a slight bow, "My name's Roshi. Your dad and I were frequent enemies during the last great war. He was a good man."

Hatake Kakashi flinched visibly. To those that knew him, that was a strange sign indeed. However, only one person there could say that with any amount of truth, and he was hanging a good hundred yards back, while making his chakra signature register from farther still. "I... thank you. How... What do you know of his death?"

Roshi shrugged, "It was me he was fighting against when he chose to withdraw. I had three tails out, and the whole team would've died. And still failed the mission. Better to keep them alive to try again, no matter what Konoha's council said. He made the right call."

Something inside Kakashi's heart unclenched itself, something that had been there, wound tightly for so long it had become a part of him. He nodded, then returned to the task at hand. "Haruno, Yamanaka, Nam- Uzumaki! Get to the designated position. Extract, _now_. You are to return to Ootori immediately for debrief if I fall!"

The tall blonde wearing black-and-red robes shook his head, "That's not going to happen. Hn. We've got orders, you see."

The indigo-haired woman behind him shook her head, "Let our master decide that, Deidara. He'll be here momentarily."

Seizing the distraction of their enemies for the chance it was, Temari, Ino, Sakura, and Naruto moved toward Yugito, who had just speared the last Iwa Jonin through his throat.  
"Yugito-nee-chan!" Naruto called as they moved, "Time to leave!"

Hatake Kakashi seemed to be undecided about whether the red-haired Jinchuuriki was a threat, so he kept a wary eye on both him and the four Akatsuki members while the younger ninja regrouped. As they did so, the red-armored giant slowly stood, favoring his now hand-less arm. Even so, Kakashi noted that the skin had already healed over. At least, it was cauterized and slightly smoking. It seemed every Jinchuuriki he knew of was very hard to kill with anything short of a decapitating shot.

The tension between the three groups mounted for a few more seconds.

The civilians of Iwa having long since been evacuated (days previously during the initial trouble), the streets were quiet aside from the howling of the wind and each ninja's breath.

Sweat ran down Kakashi's temple in the heat.

Just before the lone drop left his chin, with what seemed like every muscle in his body clenching in preparation for another strike, a calm, low voice he knew all too well shattered the silence.

"Let them go, Konan."

Once again, shock was displayed on nearly every face.

Except Kakashi's.  
While he was certainly surprised that his once-friend Obito was allied with, possibly commanded, these criminals... he'd already known he was a traitor.

"Sir?" she asked, "Shouldn't we take them? We have three Jinchuuriki right here."

Obito, not panting nearly as hard as he should have been had the previous effort not been an act, smiled serenely, "It doesn't matter, Konan. Pain agrees. We'll take them later; it should be easy to capture Roshi now that Oonoki is out of the picture, and Zetsu's likely to die within the hour. We've lost more than they have this fight. Time to regroup and come back later."

With obvious reluctance, the only emotion she'd shown so far, the remaining female Akatsuki member nodded, before swirling into a mass of paper and vanishing, leaving not a scrap behind.

"Han, I'll take you. Deidara, are you taking Kisame?"  
The red-armored man took the few steps necessary to stand next to their apparent leader while Kakashi, and further the younger ninja and Yugito, watched in amazement as their enemies mostly-calmly withdrew.

The blonde man pulled a tiny, white clay bird out of his sleeve, whispered to it, and threw it to the ground, where it expanded into a massive thing perfectly capable of carrying two. As he and Kisame climbed on, the blue-skinned man much more gingerly and with a slight limp (which made the distant Ino smile vindictively when she noticed), Han's hand touched Obito's shoulder. With amazement, Kakashi watched the two of them swirl into nothingness, unable to even register the power such a space-time jutsu would require, much less that the other two members were taking off.

Further back, however, the kunoichi least involved on a personal level with the fighting had kept her cool. They needed information, information they just didn't have right now, and had almost no access to. Unless they had the greatest spy network in the world... but there was a simple solution to that, if it worked. There would only be one shot, but...

She slipped her own hold out weapon from the same spot Ino kept hers, just behind her headband.  
With a swift flick of her wrist, and a tiny amount of Wind manipulation, Temari sent the single poisoned senbon toward the airborne pair.

"Catch him," she said to Naruto and Yugito, pointing toward them.

For a moment, both looked up, wondering what the issue was.

Then they saw the patch of blue suddenly fall from the back of the white bird.

With a massive, cat-like jump, Yugito sprang forward and up, catching the suddenly-paralyzed Kisame before Deidara could swoop around.

Knowing he had little choice, the Iwa nuke-nin slowly circled overhead to keep an eye on the situation from out of their (probable) reach. Pain would be most unhappy Kisame had been taken, on top of the others. He would probably be punished for this. But better by Pain than by Obito. That man... he was just cruel.

(O)(O)(O)

"What do we do with him, now that we have him?" Sakura asked the group now huddled around the glaring but unable to move Swordsman. "Why'd you even hit him, anyway? They were retreating."

Kakashi turned his attention momentarily toward the blonde Sakura had been speaking it, interrupting her, "Who're you, anyway?"

Temari grunted, eye roll and all, before replying, "I'm Sabaku no Temari. Sabaku no Tanaka is my father, Kankuro is my brother, and Gaara, the One-Tailed Jinchuuriki was, until recently, my brother. Now, according to Akatsuki, he's dead. I'm on your side, let's leave it at that."

Well, it was certainly enough for Kakashi to confirm the woman's identity. He'd have to trust her for now, it was obvious the younger ninja did. "All right. You should probably head back home."

She shook her head, "Nope. I'm coming to Ootori with you. I have some things to discuss with your leaders."  
"I see. And those would be...?"

If Temari was bothered by his apparent nosiness, she didn't show it. Instead, she only replied, "They would be discussed with them, not with you. The White Fang wasn't only known in Iwa. I'll trust you, because you're from Ootori, but we didn't have quite as high an opinion of him as this old guy does."

Roshi, next to Temari, laughed. "Ha! Typical. Anyway, I'm gonna stay here. See if I can draw 'em out. Besides... Iwa needs someone to look after her for a while, since most of the leadership is gone. Maybe I can help out with that. I'll be in touch, Nine-Tails kid. You don't get caught, y'hear? You two, pretty kitty lady!"

Yugito, across Kisame's body, scowled at him, but said nothing. Maybe if the attractive Kakashi had said that to her, she might be purring, but this Roshi fellow was about twice her age.

If, that is, his Four-Tailed Monkey Bijuu didn't give him increased longevity. There had been rumors to that effect, because Roshi had been one for as long as any Kumo residents' living memory.

"That's not happening. I'm in charge of this mission now, and as the only Jonin from Ootori, it's my call. You need to go back home, Miss Sabaku."

"Fine," she replied, glaring at the scarecrow, "then I'm taking _my_ prisoner home with _me_. You and your little Village can hunt down the Akatsuki's bases without that intel, then."  
"Your prisoner?" Kakashi asked, scowling.

With a smirk, Temari nodded, "Mine. My senbon, my brother's poison, my wind jutsu for range, my hit, my score, my prisoner. Unless you can identify _which_ poison I found to work against a known poison-resistant nuke-nin like Kisame, here," she finished with a nudge to the fish-man's shoulder.

"Fine, whatever," Kakashi said, running a hand over his face, "I guess we can use the help, Miss Subaku. I was _supposed_ to have another Jonin helping me get the kids home, but since my old friend is apparently a far worse traitor than I thought, you'll fill in I guess. We're taking a rather roundabout route, we can't afford to go the straight way. Too easy to ambush."

Naruto, frowning, nodded. "Toads?"

Kakashi nodded, "Close, but no. I'm a summoner too, and since the fight was shorter than I expected, I should have enough if I use one soldier pill for... this. Omeshi no Jutsu!"

With a colossal puff of smoke, a trio of canines that stood as tall as horses appeared nearby. "Hop on, two each. I'll bring the fish-man on mine, I'm sure Jiraiya-sensei, Ibiki-kun, and Hokage-sama will be very happy to talk to him."

Two minutes later, four Ootori, a Suna, and a former Kiri ninja were speeding north-east through the hilly streets of Iwa. They would be taking a roundabout course indeed, skirting the chaotic borders between Otogakure's sphere of influence and the remaining smaller nations nearby. Kakashi, however, felt that the increased likelihood of patrols from either side was worth the chance of being able to turn a possible attack from one side of the conflict (as they saw it) against the other. After all, Oto's known leader had once been a member of Akatsuki himself.

Maybe they could play them off. Hopefully.

There was a small chance, anyway. And it was better than going through the 'known' safe route in Suna, where it was almost certain they would be ambushed by one group or another.

After all, right now, it seemed like everyone wanted Naruto and his girls.

Two days later, the first civilians would dare enter the ruins that had once been the center of Tsuchi no Kuni's greatest city. A day after, seven thousand of them would die in the battle between Iwa's last defender and those intent on capturing him for their own dark purposes.

**A/N2:** Before I get a ton of flames in my in-box- not everything is as it seems. I'll just say that right now. I'll confirm one thing- Roshi? He's dead when I say he died. Nothing else is confirmed yet (except Han losing a hand, which is minor, since it's regenerating).  
Yes, this was Ino's chance to kick ass, but I almost regret not focusing more on Sakura. In case it wasn't clear, she used a jutsu designed to buff fire jutsu to kill a member of Akatsuki, neutralize another's advantage (somewhat), and force a third to retreat with the first. That's one non-combat jutsu. So she did amazing things too, even if it didn't seem like it.  
And now that the Ino/Kisame fight is over (the first one, anyway... he will want a rematch for sure, though I'm not sure if he'll get the chance), I can say "this is why I had her train with Ei". It's been that all along. Sakura's swordsmanship? It'll come up later. If she'd had her falchion vs Han, things would've been much different from the get-go, but since Naruto is hot-headed (way back when the first left from the cabin), she didn't have enough time to fully prepare. Lol

Next arc is the last one, but it's going to be longer than I thought. It's also where the relationship stuff comes back to the fore, though there's plenty of combat/war related tension and drama as well.

For those wondering why Sasuke and Hinata had been getting the spotlight relationship wise (I had a few people comment on it), here's two of the three reasons- the third remains hidden as a spoiler for now.  
First, Naruto, Ino, and Sakura? They've been too busy staying alive to worry about their relationships. This has been a VERY crazy two weeks (or so) for them. Now that things are calming down, that'll change.  
Second, "Set-up". I had a particularly awesome idea come my way (via Mouse again) involving Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto, Sakura and Ino- and a prank of epic proportions one of them will be playing on the other(s). It's all for that... but it'll be worth it, I'm sure. :)

That's all I have to say for now- I'm trying hard to stick to my "two week" updates, I shouldn't be too bad at those... I hope. ;)

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

**Katon: Yose Hageshii Kasai_:_** Loosely translates as "Gathering the intense/violent conflagration". C-rank, supplementary Fire jutsu. Basically, it gathers nearby (and near is relative depending on the chakra going into it) toward the user/their target for a limited time (again based on chakra burn). This heat is then used to power up another jutsu that uses fire or heat.  
Sakura's use, though, is a little different. Basically, she generated the kind of heat a full-bore Yugito has in her cloak (see the description of that above and it's effects) around herself, then sent that heat toward Zetsu. He caught on fire just from being near it. The heat also left Han's steam-generator on his armor, which made it basically a tank full of water. That was her intended effect, but still... it worked.

**Yugeton**: Steam Release. This is Han's signature jutsu style. Likely a kekkei-genkai, or possibly a similar thing related to his being the Jinchuuriki of the Five-Tailed Beast. It's unknown in canon, I'm considering it both, but more the latter (ie, he's better at it than his family was).

**Yugeton: Yuni Kurai Seikyo**: Roughly, "Boil to death", or more poetically, "Boil to the next world", or "Boil into the next life". It's basically just a steam version of the Great Fireball jutsu, a simple but high-power attack.

**Omeshi no Jutsu**: It's a summoning jutsu variant. I know "Kuchiyose" is canon, but since that translates to "Spiritualism or Necromancy", it doesn't fit with what I want it to do. Especially not this transport-dog version. Omeshi literally means "To call" or "To summon". I'll likely be using it for non-combat monsters from here on out, and the traditional (if poorly translated) one for combat summons.

**Yōton**: Lava Release. It's Roshi's jutsu, and a slightly different form (apparently) than that used by, say, Terumi Mei or other lava users. Of course, I'm not 100% on that, since my fact-check site isn't sure either. Lol

**Yōton** **Yougan Kanketsusen**: Loosely, or perhaps not loosely, "Lava Release: Lava Geyser". It makes lava spout up from the ground in various ways, but always under high pressure. It can make lines, appear in a single or multiple spouts of various sizes, etc. It's an all-around attack/defense jutsu (no one sane crosses, say, a wall of lava...). The area, heat, duration, and height of the spouts are all subject to the user's chakra and desires. There is also incidental damage to the surrounding area caused by falling lava (which, depending on height, may have partially solidified- in which case it does roughly the same damage, but more of it is from impact than heat).

**Yarijutsu**: The art of fighting with spears and spear-like weapons (not including Naginata, Nagimaki, etc). The traditional Japanese yari is much like a European spear, but often with a thinner point, more like a dagger-tipped weapon. Naginatajutsu is the word for the single-bladed polearm weapons of the same (similar) name; Naginata.


	45. Chapter 45: Memoria Discordia

**A/N:** Only a couple hours late again, yay! :) Only 8 pages, but I'm setting up the arc still, so I can't whine... especially as it's 3 pages longer than normal still. They aren't quite back to Ootori yet, but this is, again, the start of a new arc (the final one). It will be much more relationship-heavy than the last. For those who've been upset by the lack of a relationship... again, they were busy trying to save people's lives. That's, for now at least, over with, and the mushy stuff is back.  
… though the drama and angst are still here. :)

Oh, and thanks again to my awesome beta (and good friend) Mouse. :)

Enjoy!

**Chap. 45 Memoria Discordia**

Naruto could hear the panting of the horse-sized canine he was riding, but the spittle which had, for a while, been streaming from it's mouth had stopped a couple of hours before. He could see why; the dogs had been running flat-out for two days already, carrying a human or two each. While creatures which had been summoned tended to be more durable than their mundane counterparts, they were still living beings, and they needed to take breaks once in a while. They could be hurt, suffer from exhaustion and dehydration. "Hatake-san!" he called, facing back toward where the silver-haired man was bringing up the rear. Ahead of their small column, Temari glanced back. Even with Sakura also ahead and Ino behind, he could see the black circles under the Suna kunoichi's eyes. Yes... that convinced him, even if the dog's, Sakura's, and Ino's fatigue had not. "We need to rest!"  
"My orders are to get you back to Ootori at any cost, Uzumaki-san," the Jonin replied, just loud enough for him to hear, "we'll continue as long as I have chakra to keep them here!"  
Shaking his head, Naruto growled at all stubborn old men before bending low over the dog's no-longer sweaty neck and placing one hand along it with fingers spread, "Sorry, guy, I tried... but I should be able to give you some chakra, at least."  
He was no master of medical jutsu by any means, but given his vast reserves, which had been known even as a small child, his mother figure had drilled into him how to restore chakra to others since he had first started learning to manipulate it. After all, he may not have the control to use most medical jutsu himself, but Sakura could, and his reserves could keep her going for days without strain. On his end, anyway. Between the two of them, they were an almost inexhaustible (barring normal fatigue from being awake and focused too long) team.  
As the energy trickled into the dog, it started moving more quickly again. Before long, it had overtaken Ino, allowing him to lean over and place his left hand on the neck of her mount as well.  
"Thanks, Naruto-kun," she said quietly, eyes closed and resting on the canine's neck herself.  
"Don't mention it, Ino-chan," he replied, before speeding up slightly to repeat the process on Temari's dog.  
Of course, even a chakra recharge did not make up for the fact that the dogs had been going for forty-eight hours plus, and the humans for longer than that.  
It wasn't an hour after the recharge that Temari fell asleep. She'd moved back to the second position, with Ino now in the lead, a few minutes before when the longer-haired blonde saw her nodding, but no one expected her to literally fall from the dog she was riding.  
At first, Naruto had thought they were under attack. "Get down! Incoming fire!"  
But as he leapt from the back of his own dog, groin muscles flaring in sharp pain to jump toward Temari, he knew he would be too late. At least they had slowed down slightly in their exhaustion, and she only hit the ground at about twenty kilometers an hour instead of thirty or forty.  
Naruto caught up to the Suna ninja as she tumbled and skidded to a halt. Now quite conscious, and wishing she wasn't, she groaned, "Did you get the name of that Boss Summons that hit me?"  
Naruto chuckled, even while he leaned over to check for immediate injuries, with Sakura and Kakashi calling Ino back before the medic jumped from her dog to take over the healing, "I think it's called 'Ground'. Not sure if it's a Boss, but definitely big. You doing all right, Temari-chan?"  
Her blue eyes rolled, "Of course I'm fine! I just fell off a dog moving at ninja speeds, through a bush, and into a tree before skidding into another dirt and bramble pile. Yep, I'm just fine! Ooh... ow..."  
Sakura, who had just caught the last, scowled at the blonde for attempting to move, "Stay right there, Temari! At least let me check for spinal injuries first!"

While Ino, who was suddenly wide-awake (if still tired) moved around them in an ever-widening circle pattern on the last dog to keep an eye out for hostiles, Naruto pulled Kakashi aside. It didn't escape his notice that, no matter the other ninja's skill (he could plainly see the Jonin-style cut to this flak jacket) and relative age, Naruto was just as tall and a little heavier than the other ninja. And, no doubt, if their discussion came to blows, the newcomer would be hampered by his orders to return Naruto to Ootori safely, while, at the moment at least, he had no such compunctions about the other. The scarecrow had, after all, endangered his friends.  
"Hatake-san," Naruto began once they were a safe distance away from Sakura and Temari, "I understand that you have orders. But the next time you ignore my _advice_ and endanger my friends, you and I are going to have more than words. Are we clear?"  
One eyebrow raised, but the two black eyes the older shinobi returned were ice-cold. "I understand your intent, Na- Uzumaki-san. However, my orders were _quite_ clear. I am to return you and Haruno-san to Ootorigakure _immediately_, and as unharmed as I can make you. The others? They are not a concern except as incidentals and, in one case, a fellow Ootori ninja. The other... well, I can see why, politically, you'd want to keep the Kazekage's daughter safe. Though I wouldn't trust her with a knife at _my_ back."  
Naruto, who had not taken his eyes from the other ninja while he spoke, suddenly threw a punch. He was surprised when it connected with the older ninja's jaw squarely, knocking him spinning, backwards, into a nearby tree.  
When Hatake Kakashi stood straight again, he was rubbing his jaw. Naruto hadn't bothered shaking his hand out- he figured he'd have to do it a few more times anyway. But despite his thin build, the man could certainly take a punch, he'd give him that. "Uzumaki-san... I highly recommend you don't do that again."  
This time, it was Naruto who quirked an eyebrow. "Or what, Hatake-san? You insulted my friends, you cast my judgment of their character into question, with _no_ idea what you're talking about. Would you not do the same for your friends?"  
For a moment, Kakashi was taken aback. But his response was even colder than his eyes, "I have no friends. I thought I did, once upon a time. That masked man who gave the orders to the Akatsuki? That was him. He betrayed me, betrayed Konoha, and betrayed the Yondaime Hokage- your father- too. His name? Uchiha Obito."  
If the silver-haired man hoped to shock Naruto with that revelation, he was mistaken. Naruto, too, had seen and heard the man, had recognized the chakra signature. While he wouldn't have counted the Obito he knew as a _friend_, per se, they had eaten together several times, and he considered them at least friendly acquaintances. But still...  
"I don't give a snake's left hind leg, Hatake-san. You have your issues, that's fine. But you don't insult my friends. And don't you _dare_ put them in danger because of your 'mission' again. I'm fine with going home. We accomplished what I set out to do, or did you not notice the _other_ blonde woman with us, the one who has been keeping an eye on _you_ from behind?"  
Kakashi froze.  
There _had_ been another blonde woman... the one who had caught Kisame as he fell. She had faded into the background, though, and... and she was right behind him. _Kuso..._  
"Hello there, cutie... miss me?"  
Naruto smiled, "Anyway, Hatake-san... this is still your mission, but as _I'm_ your escort target, and I have a mission of my own, you kind of need to follow me lead, don't you? Isn't that standard procedure? Follow the escort's requests within reason? And you wouldn't want me to abandon _my_ mission, would you?"  
Despite the kunai- or perhaps a claw- he could feel at the back of his neck, Kakashi frowned. "Your 'mission' is not sanctioned by Ootori, and therefore not official."  
In response, the pointy object behind him withdrew for a moment. He didn't dare turn, though, not with Naruto- who had already hit him once- within striking range again, and the other woman just behind. Even he wasn't _that_ fast. Not against two battle-ready Jinchuuriki. That was just suicide.  
For a moment, a peculiar scratching, which seemed familiar yet he couldn't identify, filled the space between the trees they were standing in. Distantly, he could make out the pink-haired medic, Hokage-sama's apprentice, and the wounded Suna ninja speaking in low tones.  
After a few minutes, a small scroll was thrown from behind Kakashi, over his shoulder, toward the younger shinobi, who caught it neatly and let it unroll in his hand.  
With a grin, he pulled the stylus from the slot in the pin, then wrote two words on it in a quick scrawl before tossing it back over Kakashi's head. He debated for a moment trying to catch it, but the sharp object was at his neck again...  
"There," the woman- Nii, he thought- purred, before unrolling it in front of his face. "A contract, signed and dated two weeks ago, from Kumogakure no Sato to one Haruno Sakura, one Yamanaka Ino, and one Uzumaki Naruto of Ootori, and one Sabaku no Temari of Suna. Signed by the mission leader, Uzumaki Naruto. Looks official to me, Hatake-san. So, you were saying?"  
As this went on, the blonde- who, despite looking so _very_ familiar to Kakashi was apparently no where near as serious- grinned more and more widely. He, wisely, chose to say nothing. What was there to say? He'd lost, and he knew it. So did they. In fact, it almost seemed as if they'd been expecting something like this.  
"So," Naruto said, now relaxed and grinning, "let's not worry about this any more. We're about a day out at a normal ninja pace from Ootori, we should be safe enough now. At least to rest for the night. We've been going hard for more than two weeks now, even if you're pretty rested, Hatake-san."

(O)(O)(O)

"So I'm all right?"  
Sakura nodded at the Suna ninja, "Yep. You'll be stiff for a couple hours, but by morning you should feel all right."  
The blonde let out a sigh of relief, "Good. It's humiliating enough falling asleep, much less falling off my mount... I didn't need a serious injury as well."  
Sakura only shook her head, "Don't worry about it. No one actually saw it except Naruto, I only saw you stop against the tree for a second. And I'm just glad you hadn't hit a knot or something. Even a twig at those speeds could've given you a lobotomy... and not the more pleasant kind."  
Temari shuddered. "Yeah... glad I didn't get one of those."  
A few seconds later, as Sakura was winding up with packing away her medical kit again, a rather sheepish-looking Hatake Kakashi was led into the clearing by Naruto and Yugito, who were both grinning like the cat that ate the canary.  
"What's up with you two? And how long have you been following us, Yugito?" Sakura asked.  
The female Jinchuuriki's smile grew. "Since Iwa, of course. I wasn't exactly expecting what happened, but hey, if Naruto-kun raced from Ootori to Suna, to Ishi, and then to Iwa to rescue my ass, the least I can do is see him home. What would have happened if the Akatsuki came after you again? So I followed behind."  
Kakashi frowned, hesitated as if he was unsure he dared ask, then blurted out, "How did you keep up?"  
In reply, two black tails covered in blue flames sprouted from behind the tall blonde, "Cat-form. I can shift pretty quickly, and I'm- well, quiet as a cat if I want to be. Only a sensor would've been able to tell for sure, and only a damned good one. I'm surprised Naruto knew I was there."  
With a hand at the back of his head, the blonde boy chuckled, "Well, I _do_ have a couple of advantages there. I can smell you- Fox nose- and, well, Bijuu chakra. I can always tell when that's close."  
"Ah," Yugito replied, before moving over to where Kisame lay, still unconscious, at the edge of the clearing near their packs, and plopping down to sit on his torso. He grunted, but did not otherwise react. "So what's the plan? Resting here? 'S as comfortable as anywhere else, I guess."  
Reluctantly, Kakashi nodded. "I suppose we'd better. I _am_ getting pretty tired, truth be told. Keeping four horse-sized summons out for two days is a bit taxing."  
Naruto started to chuckle, before Sakura's glare halted that before it got far. He suddenly remembered how little she enjoyed being laughed at for barely being able to summon two horse-sized slugs at all, much less keep them for any amount of time.  
"Er... all right, I'll, just... uh... set up camp."

(O)(O)(O)

"So, tell me about my parents, Hatake-san."

Said Jonin was a little hurt at the emotionless tone his Sensei's progeny took, but could understand why he had. Doubtless, Kakashi's focus on protecting the blonde boy at all costs had not endeared him to the young ninja. His father had been the same way, had loathed the idea of anyone being sacrificed for him. It was, in fact, what made him such a good Hokage.

But that didn't remove the sting. At least, he mused, Naruto had asked. He could doubtless have heard many stories from Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya-Sensei. Had, in fact, almost certainly. But still, if Naruto wanted to know more... to know who his parents were from the point of view of a student, not a teacher... Well, Kakashi had this one more chance. He could not screw it up, not if he wanted to be close to the last link he had with his own beloved Sensei.  
"Where do you want me to start?"

The fire crackled quietly, Ino and Sakura curled into Naruto on either side, with Temari and Yugito flanking them but a couple feet further away on either side. That left Kakashi on his own on one side of the small fire, but he was all right with that. He didn't trust either of the two strange blondes anyway, and they were just as far from Naruto as they were from himself, with more bodies between them.

"My dad. What was he like as a sensei? Did you ever see him outside of team stuff or missions?"

Behind his mask, Kakashi smiled slightly. "As a matter of fact, we did. In fact, I lived with Minato-Sensei and Kushina-sama for a few years after my father... died. The Yondaime had known my father for years by then, even though the 'White Fang' was quite a bit older... I'd say about as old as I am compared to you, but I can't recall how old he was at the time he died. It's... not a detail I cared about then. Still don't."

The 'elite ninja' part of his brain watched the others' body language carefully. The three directly across from him were relaxed, likely too exhausted to work up any real emotion. The Suna kunoichi was similar, but at least seemed to be making a token effort to keep her awareness of their surroundings up. Nii, the Kumo Jinchuuriki, was, like himself, quite involved in both the story and keeping an eye on their surroundings. That was good... even if he didn't trust her, in the unlikely event of an attack, she would react. Even if it was Kumo, there would be _some_ sign from her. "Anyway, I graduated from Konoha's Academy at five, and was a Chunin by six. In fact, I was a Chunin before I even had a squad... heh heh... but anyway, Minato-Sensei requested me, an Uchiha, Obito, and an Inuzuka girl named Rin for his own Genin squad. We... well, _I_, didn't get along well with any of them at first. My dad had just died, and as far as I knew, a traitor. He killed himself from the shame of abandoning a mission that was vital to the war effort against Iwa... during the war going on at the time."

Kakashi sighed. The others were, for the most part, lost in the story, much as he had been. The memories, while unpleasant for him, were a great deal of who he was. If he wanted Naruto to know him... this had to come out. And now, mostly alone in the wilds of Hi no Kuni, was as good a time as any. "The Yondaime- though he wasn't the Hokage at the time- wouldn't have that. He drilled us in teamwork endlessly, forced us on more than a hundred D-ranks... but I still refused to get along with Obito. He was always late, always with some lame excuse, never took anything seriously. He had talent, lots of it. That's what bothered me so much- I felt he was wasting that talent, wasting the opportunity he had to be trained by one of the greatest ninja to ever live. That all changed after a while though... we'd been sent on the first major offensive mission from the Leaf during the war, to destroy a bridge. We... were ambushed. Rin had been taken, Obito wanted to rescue her, I refused. At the time, I valued the mission more than the life and safety of my team. Given my father's disgrace- he had committed seppukku because he had chosen to save his team and abandon the mission- I think you can see why I thought that way at first... but his words cut me deeply, and when he left to save her, I followed. To make a long story short, there was a combat... we somehow, between us, defeated two Chunin or maybe Jonin. His eyes, the Sharingan, woke during that battle... Rin was saved. But as we fled, the surviving ninja of the pair caused a cave-in. It would have fallen on Obito, but he grabbed Rin and yanked her back, propelling himself forward. He..."

Kakashi's voice caught in his throat. "The man- the man who had finally taught me to accept the worth of my comrades sacrificed one of them to save himself. He disappeared into the night while I tried to dig out Rin. I didn't even know he was alive until I left the Hokage's office on this mission to save you and he was standing outside, already with orders to do the same thing... I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this." Wincing at the perceived shame, Kakashi wiped a tear from one eye, then the other.  
"But... over the years, I've somehow convinced myself that I had fallen in love with Rin, even though we were only twelve and thirteen at the time. And that Obito, who had suddenly become my closest friend, had betrayed us both and gotten her killed. Now, I find out that he _is_ actually a traitor, and not just to me..."

Naruto, eyes closed, nodded. "We, Sakura and I, got to know him a bit too. I didn't... I didn't think he would turn on us. He seemed so friendly, so casual and laid back. How could he be an enemy? But he is, we all saw it, heard what he said."

Kakashi nodded as well. "Yes... but it does answer some questions, as well as raise a few more. I never found Rin's body. I dug, over the course of a day and a half, most of the cave-in out, but there was no sign of her, just a big pool of blood. I assumed he did something, but... I have no idea what. I still don't.

But we aren't supposed to be talking about me... you wanted to hear about your father."

Naruto's eyes opened again. Kakashi could see the combination of his father's unwavering glare and Kushina's eyes in him quite clearly, even in the orange, flickering light.

"Well, after my father died, Minato wouldn't hear of me living alone. My mother died when I was young, so he took me in, against my wishes. Still... he and Kushina were kind, and wise, and they raised me as best they could, even aside from missions. Even though I was almost always cold to them, at least until after Obito... well, after that, I _needed_ someone I could open up to, and they were still there, waiting patiently for me to do so. Minato... he was a stern man in a way, he always put duty and the safety of others before his own happiness. Except when it came to his wife, and to you, Naruto. The happiness of you two, even though you weren't even born when I last saw Sensei, was everything to him. He was the best Hokage we, Konoha, ever had. The Shodaime and Nidaime, and then the Sandaime, may have all sacrificed themselves for the Village in one way or another, but it was the Yondaime's sacrifice that saved us all...saved you three, gave us a chance for Kushina's dying words to come true."

Naruto blinked, but it was Sakura who sleepily asked, "What dying words?"

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. He hadn't meant for that to slip, but... well, he was tired too. It was too late now, though, he could tell Nii was a woman who would worry at the problem until she figured it out, and Naruto would likely be able to guilt him into revealing it anyway... "The prophecy she gave shortly before her death. Moments, in fact, before Minato-Sensei took you away to seal the Fox within you. I guess they weren't her actual last words, because she followed him and you, but they were the last words I, or anyone alive, heard her speak."

"Tell us," Naruto said. Again, his tone was cold, almost emotionless, but the older ninja knew there was no arguing. Besides, if Jiraiya and Tsunade were right... didn't he have the right to know? With another sigh, he began reciting it.  
"When darkness is gathered, and hope seems lost, secrets uncovered-"

But he was immediately interrupted by Ino, who did not open her eyes. She picked up right where he had been, the transition almost seamless aside from the small overlap before he realized what she was doing.

"-reveal the plot.

Fate's foe fights

the crush of flesh,

the deepening night.

Hampered by allies

aided by enemies

The shadow of the flame's

last spark

When lightning's strike

unleashes the whirlwind

When stone trembles

and water stands aside

The flame can conquer.

When the child spoken

of in prophecy awakens

the cursed fires

shall be reborn.

White eyes.

Black eyes.

Red eyes.

Sacred fire,

cleansing the cursed land,

hope born from ashes."

The cadence with which the kunoichi delivered it lent gravity to it that Kakashi could not duplicate. He nodded and asked, "You've heard it? Where?"

Still without looking at anything but Sakura's forehead across Naruto's chest, the blonde replied, "Kushina told me, and I relayed it to them. It was... a long story. Some other time, Hatake-san."

Reluctantly, he nodded. "And Kushina... she was an amazing kunoichi. She'd earned the name 'The Bloody Red Habanero' because of her bright red hair and temper. She was a match for Tsunade-sama, in fact the two were each other's most frequent sparring partners. A master at fuuinjutsu, a grand master swordswoman, skilled at ninjutsu... she was completely un-subtle, though, and that was perhaps her only weakness as a ninja. Something like you, I hear, Naruto-kun."

If the boy was bothered by the familiar term, he didn't show it. Kakashi took that as a good sign for the future.

"Anyway, she and Minato didn't get along well as kids, since she was from Uzushiogakure, but after a while, from what I hear, he started falling for her. She ignored him for a long time since he'd joined the others in making fun of her for her hair... but Kushina's grandmother, Mito, had been the wife of the Shodaime Hokage, so it was a step up, politically, for Minato's family. Once they started dating, because Minato was so powerful and Kushina's family so politically strong, the families allowed it to continue, and eventually they married. They also had great fights... but hey, everyone does. They loved each other a lot. In fact, I hear they had a shared love for Jiraiya-Sensei's books, if not the same series."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah, I bet my dad loved those pervy things he writes, and my mom liked the Gutsy Ninja ones, right?"

Smiling widely enough to be seen through his mask now, Kakashi shook his head. "Nope... it was the other way around. Kushina-sama read Icha Icha, said the only good thing about the Gutsy Ninja was the name, it 'fit a guy who was obviously attempting to write himself into a story to be called fishcake'. Jiraiya-sama, of course, hated the very idea, claimed that while the Naruto in the books was _loosely_ based on him, it was more the adventures than the person. We, all who knew them both, of course knew better. But Minato loved them to death, and somehow convinced your mother that naming you after the main character of that series was a good idea. Of course, that might have been because Kushina had been craving naruto rolls the whole time she had been pregnant... apparently you liked them too."

"Heh," Naruto chuckled, "I still do. Not the best part of ramen, but I like 'em a lot."

Kakashi continued to smile somewhat sadly across the fire. "I hope you inherited your mother's skill in the kitchen, though, because your father could set air on fire if he tried to cook. Literally. At six, I was better than he would ever be. But, unfortunately, I heard that cooking skills avoided the males in your family completely."

The blonde ninja frowned. "Hey... I'm not bad. Nothing on Sakura's cooking, but... hey, she just cooks better."

Perhaps it was the exhaustion speaking.

Maybe the fact that the four younger ninja hadn't, collectively, slept in about three weeks for any decent amount of time.

But either way, something in that relatively-innocent comment set the rosette's hackles up. "And _what_, Naruto, makes you think I'm so good at cooking?"

Trying not to dislodge the girls leaned against him, one of which was the suddenly-annoyed one, he shrugged. "Nothing... I just like your food. Even that cake you made that everyone hated for the contest. It was great!"

Amused now, and unaware of just how hideous the extra-salty cake had been to everyone else, Kakashi joked, "Heh, typical... just assume the girl's better in the kitchen, eh? Can't blame you, I'm not that good myself."

"What?" Temari jumped in, standing slowly, "You think just being female makes us better at cooking? Like we should just leave the ninja stuff to you _men_ and stay where we belong? At home?"

Quickly, Kakashi backpedaled. While he might not _fear _the Suna ninja, he knew better than to let a woman think you thought of her as inferior in any way. Any way at all. "N- No! Of- Of course not! I just meant that, in this particular case-"

But before he could even finish his sentence, the strange 'couple' across the fire had already disintegrate into all-out shouting. Now standing a few feet apart, both girls were tearing into the young man, accusing him of being 'just like everyone else', 'taking them for granted', and 'only wanting them for their looks'.

With a quavering heart, Kakashi was forced to ignore the raging kunoichi in favor of saving his Sensei's son... if he somehow could. The only thing he found good about the situation was that Nii Yugito seemed as amused by the current situation as he had been at it's inception.  
"Hey!" Naruto was yelling back, though being ignored by Sakura and Ino, "I've _never_ thought that! Yes, I think you're beautiful, but I don't _just_ want your- your bodies! I let you come, right? I value your skills! I know you're strong, or I'd-"

But before he could save him, of course, just as his mother _and_ father would have done, the boy had put his foot in his mouth and twisted... with an extra shove for good measure.  
"Oh, you _let_ us come? Ino shrieked, "If I recall, we had to _chase your sorry ass down_! I don't know _why_ either of us bothered, though, if you're such a mysogenistic _asshole_!"

Without another word, the tall blonde and shorter rosette stalked away to the edge of the clearing, where they disappeared into the forest.

For a moment, it looked as if Naruto would chase after them. Instead, visibly crushed, he slumped to the ground before the fire again and put his head in his hands.

Aside from the dying fire's slow crackles, silence fell over the camp for a long time. Even the night animals, scared off by the noise of the argument, were silent.  
"I'm... I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean anything by it..." Kakashi tried.

But the blonde only shook his head and said, without raising his head from his arms, "Save it... I know you didn't do it on purpose. But it's like you said... everyone fights, right? They'll... they'll come back."

Kakashi hoped he was right. Because the look in the young Jinchuuriki's eyes after his girls had stormed away... it was a lot like the look in Minato's as he'd taken baby Naruto from his mother's arms.  
It was not a look he had ever wanted to see again.

**A/N2:** Not to much to say this time... but there is one thing I need to clarify. After exhaustive (ten minutes) research on the Narutopedia site, I could not find a set age/time that Sakumo Hatake (Kakashi's dad, the White Fang) died, only that the mission that caused his disgrace was involved in 'the war effort'. I'm _assuming_ that's the same war vs Iwa which later claimed Obito's (and possibly Rin's) life in canon. If anyone wants to clear that up for me, it's fine, but I'm not re-writing this based on that. The whole 'being adopted by the Namikaze's' thing? That's not canon, probably never will be (even though both of Kakashi's parents were dead after that), but I can't see Minato not taking any interest in his student's well-being and life. Where do you think Kakashi learned it from in checking on Naruto, making sure he cleaned and ate somewhat properly?

Anyway, nothing that I've found or written contradicts known canon, but that isn't saying it can't later. I just don't have enough to say. If it does... oh well, consider it more AU. If it doesn't, great.  
Lastly...

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

None really, but "Memoria Discordia" means, basically, "chaotic memories"... though I meant it more as "memories and chaos". Of course, like many of my chapter or story titles, it has more than one meaning. I'll leave it to you readers to figure it out for yourselves... if you care. :)


	46. Chapter 46: No Rest for the Wicked

**A/N:** OK, so sorry about the week or so late... sickness, food poisoning, and then excessive work/babysitting has led to less time for writing than I'd have liked... and, I'll admit it, being sucked into a good fic (which is sadly incomplete) for a couple days didn't help either. However, I bring you something many of you have been waiting for for a long time- a (kinda) lemon. Enjoy! If you can... :D

Oh, and thanks again to my awesome beta (and good friend) Mouse. :)

**Chap. 46 No Rest for the Wicked**

"Uzumaki Naruto, your Ootori ninja license is suspended until further notice. Furthermore, you will serve one week in the city brig, in the hopes that you gain an understanding of the severity of your actions. Do you understand the sentence?"

An entirely un-apologetic Naruto nodded at his adoptive mother firmly, "Understood, Hokage-sama."

Behind and beside him, his girls hissed slightly, but he ignored them. Like it or not, for whatever reason, he'd disobeyed a direct order _and _gone AWOL in doing so... and taken two other valuable ninja with him. In addition, he'd... well, they, had caused a lot of damage. Physically, politically... things were different, now, and it was because of his decision. A week in the brig and a suspended license... that was nothing, compared to the danger he'd brought down on Ootori.

"Jiraiya, Yamato, Hiashi-sans, can I count on you to escort Naruto safely to the holding cells? Don't forget the chakra suppression seals."

Each nodded gravely, but it was Jiraiya's hand that landed not-gently on Naruto's shoulder. "Come on, kid."

As he was led out, the eyes of four blondes and a rosette followed him, watching for any sign of... anything. But Naruto's face was an expressionless mask, his body language betrayed nothing except acceptance, and the desire to get from point A to point B in as efficient a path as he could.

"Naruto?" Ino called, but he ignored her, he was still quite fed up with both her and Sakura. Any sign of weakness just then would have been disastrous. Besides, it had been his decision, his call. They had done as they should, backed up their leader (as they saw it). He had been the one in charge, and he would take the blame.  
Just before the door closed behind Jiraiya, Ino's hand raised as if to grasp at Naruto, to stop him, to prevent his punishment somehow. Any way she could. But it closed with a soft click, and, as gently as she could, Sakura brought up one of her own arms to pull Ino's down, before turning her to face Tsunade once more. "Sakura, Ino, you are confined to your quarters for two days. Nii-san, do you intend to return to Kumogakure immediately, or would you like to take a while to recuperate while we send word you've been recovered?"  
The Jinchuuriki hesitated, spared a glance at the now even further-annoyed teenaged girls, and answered, "I believe I will stay, if you don't mind me impinging on your Village's hospitality. Kono- I mean, Ootorigakure and Kumo's alliance can only grow by me doing so... as long as my stay is friendly, of course."  
Tsunade grinned behind her clasped hands, "Oh, I believe it'll be friendly enough... as long as you don't stay _too_ long. Not that you'd ever be unwelcome, I'm sure, it's just that Ei might have issues with our new alliance if you stay, say, until we're attacked by Oto, Iwa, or Kiri and are injured or killed in the fighting. He wants his Jonin back, and in one piece, I'm sure."

Yugito smiled as politely as she could, well-used to the double-speak and innuendo of politics and ninja life. "It is as you say, Hokage-sama. Shall I wait outside for a ninja to assign me quarters, or...?"  
But the Hokage shook her head, "No, that won't be necessary. Given our limited housing at this time, I'm going to be forced to ask you and Sabaku-dono to share a room. That is, if neither object."

Temari shook her head nervously, Yugito amiably, then Tsunade turned her attention on the daughter of the Kazekage, with whom she had no so much as exchanged looks so far in the meeting. "Sabaku-dono. How did you convince your father to allow you to accompany my adopted children and their friend on this fool's errand? Er... no offense intended, Nii-san."  
Yugito smiled and waved the comment off, "None taken. It _was_ rather foolish, and I've told them so myself. Not that I don't appreciate it, of course."

Temari fought to clear her head of the panic she felt when that woman... that _demon_ with giant breasts stared at her with those deep brown eyes. Not once in her life had her father, the Kazekage, ever pierced so effortlessly into her soul, laid her bare with just one glance. She had already been intimidating enough, but this... this was beyond the pale.

"I, um... I- I d-didn't, H-H-ogake-s-sama." _What the hell,_ she fumed inwardly, _is so scary about her, anyway?_

"You... didn't. You didn't ask the Kazekage if you could go on a mission into hostile territory. Possibly provoke a _war_. You just... went? Like my son?"

Stiffly, Temari nodded, "Y-yes, ma'am."

The older kunoichi let out a long, slow breath. "That puts me... in a rather difficult position. You see, I have two choices. I can send you back to your father, in which case one of two things happen. We become embroiled in a war we can not afford or win against Suna, or we have to pay reparations for having one of our ninja kidnap the Kazekage's daughter... which we also cannot afford. Or two, we keep you here... as a hostage. In which case," Tsunade continued speaking despite Temari's hand suddenly going for her fan, "we either are paid a ransom by Suna, and later go to war, or we are attacked by Suna, bringing us a war we can not afford. There is a third possibility, of course, that in either case your presence here is ignored by your father... but I know Tanaka. I consider that unlikely- he will use the situation to benefit him and Sunagakure any way he can. Does that sound accurate enough, Sabaku-san?"

Stiffly, Temari nodded. "Is it your intention to take me as a hostage then, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade laughed, leaning back in her chair, "Of course not... unless you'd prefer we did. I was _hoping_ you would present me with what I consider a viable third option... no? You haven't thought of it yet?"

Sakura hesitantly raised her hand, "Shi- Shishio? I think I know what you mean, if I can-"  
"No, Sakura, you may not."

At once, the younger medic's hand fell, and she was silent.

"Wait," Temari asked, eyes narrowing, "there's a third option?"

Tsunade nodded, but said nothing. Instead, she only watched Temari carefully.  
"Like... Nii-san. You want an 'ambassador'. But my father- the Kazekage wants nothing to do with an alliance. At least not with Ootori."

Tsunade nodded, "I'm sure that's true, judging by the fingers and bloody headband sent back from Suna in place of our last messenger with a similar proposal. Now, though... we have something he wants to bargain with, do we not?"

Temari frowned. "A hostage, you said. I suppose the idea isn't totally foreign to me, being a Kazekage's daughter, but..."

Tsunade shook her head, "You misunderstand. We have in our Village two more Jinchuuriki- even if one is only on loan, as it were- more than he does. And one of ours just walked into Iwa, smashed the place up, and walked out. In a manner of speaking, anyway. Now... I believe the positions are reversed."

After thinking it over for a few minutes, Temari nodded. "I accept then, Hokage-sama. I'll be your ambassador to Suna if you want me to be."  
"Good, good... now, if you two will head outside to speak with my secretary, she'll have your housing set up and a guide to take you there in a few minutes."

After the two taller blondes had left, Tsunade cocked her head to the side of the office near the filing cabinets, "Come on out, Shizune. No reason to hide from these two..."

The Hokage's older apprentice stepped out from behind nothing, as far as either of the younger kunoichi could tell, fully dressed in her battle gear. "Are you sure, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Yes, Shizune, I'm sure. Thanks for playing assassin while the scary Kumo Jinchuuriki and Suna assassin were here... but I _am_ a Kage, remember? Besides... don't you have something to ask Sakura and Ino before we get on with their punishment?"

Sakura was quite surprised to see her onee-chan blush strongly, before she brought both of her hands out of the long sleeves and clasped them in front of her chest, "How was he? Naruto. Did you like it? Was he gentle? I bet he was... did he do... you know..."

Both Ino and Sakura suddenly turned bright red. Later, Sakura would again blame it on sleep deprivation, but her screech of "We haven't slept with Naruto yet!" echoed across the entire Village.  
Elsewhere, when the sound waves hit their group, Naruto also flushed deeply enough to match his girlfriends, while Jiraiya and Yamato started to chuckle at his expense. Hiashi, perhaps feeling a slight bit of vindication for his humiliation months ago, only smiled at Naruto's discomfort.

Back in the office, though, Tsunade was agape. She'd stood from her desk so quickly the chair had flown back against the wall and toppled over. "You _what_?! You mean... you risked open war with _two nations_ for that boy, and he's not even putting _out_ yet?! What's _wrong_ with you two?!"

Elsewhere, Naruto began to whimper, while even Hiashi started to laugh.

"Tch, _fine_," Tsunade said with a huff, turning to right her chair, "like I said before, you two are confined to your apartment for the next two days... I hope your food's stocked. Go straight there, don't stop for anything. And send Kakashi in on your way out, he's got a mission debriefing to do... something about Obito's betrayal has me even more worried."

The two younger kunoichi shared an apprehensive glance as they turned to obey.

(O)(O)(O)

Forty-eight hours later, a very hungry Sakura slammed open the apartment door she shared with one Yamanaka Ino (when the taller kunoichi was not at her family's home in the forest, or Sakura was not at her family's cabin) and yawned. "Finally, food! I'm so sick of trail rations, I-"

"Haruno-san," the mellow but stern voice of the ninja she'd met for the first time when he was attempting to extract them from Iwa said, "the Hokage has asked me to inform you that you and Yamanaka-san are expected in her office in ten minutes. Failure to arrive in that time-frame will result in prolonged punishment for Uzumaki-san."

Sakura's eyebrow quirked. "If we're late... she's punishing Naruto?"

Kakashi nodded, eyes crinkling in a semblance of a smile over his mask, "Hai. Just as, if he had been acting up, you would have been punished, I expect. Fortunately, Uzumaki-san's behavior has been impeccable."  
"Right," Sakura frowned, "That's _so_ Naruto... the very essence of good behavior. Anyway... all right, I'll let Ino know. How long do we have?"

Kakashi checked his timepiece for accuracy, "You now have... six minutes and thirty-two seconds to arrive, dressed and ready for a briefing, at the Hokage's office."

Sakura panicked slightly, but let not a glimmer of it show... that she thought. Perhaps if she hadn't suddenly slammed the door in Kakashi's face, muttering, "Damn Ino hogging the shower... I'll just have to share!", the silver-haired ninja would have had no idea that Sakura had issue with the statement or not.  
Of course, since he was also distracted by thoughts of the two kunoichi sharing the same small shower, and the same small apartment... perhaps the same small bed. Fortunately for his safety, the rosette medic was already half-way across the apartment, and more concerned with stripping her clothing for a quick rinse than what any giggling perverts were doing on the other side of her door.

Inside, Ino yelped in surprise when Sakura flung the thin shower curtain over, "Move over, Pig- we gotta hurry. Due in Tsunade-sama's office in five minutes."

"Ooh, Sakura," Ino cooed as she eyed her room mate's slender, toned figure, "I like what you've been hiding under that outfit you wear so much."  
Sakura rolled her eyes, "Not right now, Ino... we have to _hurry_, remember? You can try and turn me bisexual later. If we're late, _Naruto_ gets punished."

Ino blinked, looked down into green eyes, and whispered, "She wouldn't. Would she?"

Sakura's level look answered the question better than any words.  
Ino sighed, "She would... all right, no more flirting. I'm just about done anyway... you want me to set your outfit out?"

Sakura shook her head as she ran it under the spray, "No, thanks, I'm going to wear something different. If you're getting out, get out. I need to do more than just spray, my hair stinks 'cause you were drooling on it all night."

Ino snorted, "Yeah, yeah," as she stepped out, "but _you_ were the one that crawled into _my_ bed 'cause you were lonely. And it's not like I can help it if I drool when a cutie like you curls up next to me."

Sakura couldn't help but smile, but was glad Ino wouldn't be able to see through her sodden hair and the water. It _had_ been rather comfortable... even if she had no particular romantic feelings for the blonde, she was a good friend, an excellent kisser, and not so pushy in her own sexuality that Sakura felt pressured. And... well.. it wasn't like Sakura exactly _minded_ the way Ino looked at her. The same way Naruto did, if a little more openly.

Still, when Sakura opened her bedroom door to find a fully-dressed Ino holding her hands in her family's signature hand seal, the medic was unprepared for what awaited her a moment later.

_Sakura blinked. She was no longer walking into her bedroom, in a rush to get to the Hokage's office. She was no longer towel-clad, nor was Ino standing before her with her hands out. Instead, Ino was, judging by the humming, behind Sakura, standing under the spray of her small shower..._

_A shower that Sakura distinctly remembered leaving moments before. "I- Ino? What's going on, Pig?"_

_The humming stopped, and a hand with slender fingers slipped across Sakura's toned stomach. Ino's voice was low, sultry, when she responded, "Just... buying a little extra time. We're both dreaming right now, more or less... and things are happening much faster than they seem, since it's our minds doing the work."_

_Sakura suddenly felt two soft mounds press against her scapula, felt Ino's lips ghost across the edge of her right ear, while the blonde's other hand slipped onto her waist. "Sorry about hitting you with a jutsu, but I promise... I don't want to hurt you."  
Sakura gulped, nodded, and tried to fight down the quickening pulse of her heart. "I... I believe you. It's just... what are you trying to do?"_

_Ino sighed behind her, then nibbled lightly on the same ear before replying, "Can't you guess? I know you don't see me that way... not really. But as much as I want Naruto, and I want him all the time, when you just walked into the shower like that... well, I got a bit excited."  
"Ex- excited?" Sakura's heart was suddenly pounding. It wasn't like, given their close proximity, or Ino's hand slipping around in small circles around the medic's stomach were confusing. The signals she was receiving were not difficult to interpret, especially with Ino's chosen words._

"_Yes," Ino whispered, sending her tongue inside the curve of Sakura's ear for a moment before continuing, "Ex.. eye... ted. You made me excited... and since you did, you have to... take responsibility."_

"_I... I don't understand," Sakura said, playing for time, "What do you mean take responsibility? And were are my clothes? We have to get to the Hokage's office, or Naruto-"  
"Naruto is going to be just fine," Ino replied, suddenly bringing the hand on Sakura's waist and her stomach both to grab hold of the medic's modest chest and squeeze slightly, "Mmm... Kami, Sakura, you're so hot."_

_Sakura moaned slightly, murmured, "No, don't," but cut herself off from saying more with a slight gasp of pleasure as Ino tweaked both swollen nipples._

"_Relax, Sakura... not even a second's gone by outside. I want to enjoy this, enjoy you... but we won't be late, I promise. You're even still in your towel, and I'm fully dressed. Even though I- we- might both need a change of pants afterward."_

_Sakura gulped. "So... but I thought you only wanted me with Naruto?"_

_As Ino continued to squeeze, caress, and stroke Sakura's breasts from behind, Sakura felt the blonde's pelvis grind against her rear, though it was a bit too high for any significant contact- Ino was tall enough the motion sent her mostly into the small of the rosette's back. "I never, ever said that. I want Naruto. I love him... but I also love you, and have for a long time now. Since I saw how deeply you cared for him, and how deeply he cares for you... it made me jealous, but... then on the second mind-walk, I saw... I saw how deeply he cares for me, too, and I... well, I stopped being jealous. As long as I can have both of you, I'm perfectly fine with you having each other, too. Isn't that fair? We both- we all- get what we want? You get Naruto, he gets both of us, and I get... both of you."_

_At the last three words, Ino's right hand slipped downward, to stop just above the inch-wide heart trimmed into her pubic hair, complete with three thin whiskers on either side. "I always loved that, by the way... how did you get it to grow like that?"_

_Sakura smiled, "Shizune nee-chan showed me, years ago... it's a medical jutsu. I'll teach you sometime... but shouldn't we really be going? I mean, Naruto..."_

_Ino's hand slipped slower, over the tiny bud at the top of Sakura's slit, making the medic gasp, "No... no, I think I'd much rather we were both coming than going. Wouldn't you?"_

_The answering gasps and cries as Ino's fingers continued to speed up were all the answer Ino needed. _

_But after Sakura's knees gave out, and she collapsed to the floor of the mentally-projected bath only half-upright, Ino stepped around to her front, and gently turned Sakura's head upward. "Ooh... Sakura... your face is _gorgeous_ right now. Your afterglow... wow. Now, I was originally thinking, while I had you here, I should just bury your face between my legs and show you what women can do for each other... but I think I've had a better idea."_

_The nervous look in Sakura's eyes faded slightly. As much as she had enjoyed Ino's hand between her legs, the one alternating on her breasts, and the kisses up and down both ears and her neck, the feel of Ino against her back... she was not ready for that.  
"I'm going to give you a little show, you won't have to do anything but watch."  
"A- A show?"_

_Ino nodded wickedly. "Did I ever tell you what happened to me the first time I saw the Kyuubi inside Naruto?"_

_Sakura shook her head._

"_I'm still not sure exactly what it was... maybe the raw power, the unbridled, if totally insane, passion of the thing... but it made me hornier than I'd ever been. I frigged myself off, right in front of Naruto, totally naked, and not caring a bit that I was in his head."  
Sakura's eyes widened. "You did?"  
Ino nodded, and crouched down on the bathtub floor before Sakura, forcing her to scoot backward. The medic could not resist the urge to glance at the sunny yellow patch between Ino's legs, a place Naruto had seen on Ino even before he'd seen Sakura... at least, the teenaged Sakura. Eight-year-old bodies were not quite the same, after all.  
"Do you want to see that, Sakura?"_

_Again, the medic's heart started pounding. Taking her silence for an answer, Ino leaned back and raised both legs to either side of the tub, almost as if she was in a birthing chair. Sakura was so close in the narrow space that Ino's knees were on either side of her elbows, Ino's ankles stretched out behind her.  
"Do you like what you see so far, Sakura?"_

_The medic gulped. This was so far beyond any medical, clinical knowledge she had of female anatomy, it wasn't even funny.  
It was down-right alluring._

_Ino was far rougher on her own breasts, yanking and tugging slightly on her nipples, than she had been with Sakura's. They jiggled delight- no. They were just mounds of flesh on a friend. A close friend, but... Sakura did not see Ino that way._

_Green eyes widened slightly when Ino stuck two fingers in her mouth, withdrew them with a popping sound, and stared directly into Sakura's eyes, watching her every expression, as those green orbs locked onto the fingers which Ino immediately after thrust into the small hole between her legs with a moan of release and satisfaction. "Kami... Sakura, you see this? You... are you watching me rub one out? I'm thinking... thinking of how good it would feel if it was your fingers. If your tongue was on me, if I... oh _Kami I'm coming_!"_

_In what seemed like only moments, Ino's hips shuddered enough to make the blonde slide further into the tub, leaving her head at an awkward angle while she caught her breath. _

_Once she caught sight of Sakura's face, though, Ino started to giggle. "Forehead... the look on your face... Kami, it makes me want to yank Naruto into my mindscape and screw you both senseless. Too bad I need line of sight, and can't do more than one person at a time yet."_

_Only then did Sakura notice how hot her body felt, how red-tinged her arms and chest were, how she was panting... and how, despite only just having had release herself, her own fingers were between her folds, moving slowly up and down themselves. She yanked them away and turned her head to the side, embarrassed beyond belief. "Let me out of here, Ino," she growled, "We need to get to Shishio's office. We haven't got time for... for playing around."_

_Ino, still laughing, rose to her feet, and pulled a resistant Sakura with her, "Come on, Forehead... relax. Live a little. No harm was done... you have no idea how hot you are, do you? I want to go again already myself. But yeah, you're right... I think we've been in here about twenty seconds, time to get moving."_

When the real world shimmered back into existence, Sakura glared at the still-dressed Ino. She was glad, at least, that the blonde was the one that would need to change her pants and underwear (judging by the wet patch which was clearly visible) and the smell of sex in the air. Sakura, though, still needed to go back into the bathroom for a wet cloth to wipe herself off... there was no way she was talking to her mother figure with that smell so evident on her. No way in hell.

It would be bad enough telling Naruto... after he'd forgiven both she and Ino enough to talk to them again, anyway.

(O)(O)(O)

In a jail cell, one Uzumaki-Namikaze (or Namikaze-Uzumaki, or any one, depending on who was asking) Naruto sat, as he had done for two days straight, in a cross-legged position. He had neither eaten, nor drank. Only his slow, measured breathing showed anyone that he was still alive.  
Well, that, and the violently-bubbling orange chakra that occasionally leaked from his body, only to be pulled back in by bright, golden chains of light.

The first time it had happened, the guard had been worried. The second, he had sent for Jiraiya-sama. The third and fourth, both Jiraiya and Yamato had been there to see it. But a moment before the Wood-jutsu ninja had activated a technique to suppress the chakra, Jiraiya's hand had fallen on his. "Wait."

When the gold chains appeared, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, then widened. "It can't... it can't be."

"Jiraiya-sama?" Yamato asked, confused.

The Sannin shook his head, "Nothing... I just... that jutsu is something his mother, Kushina, was known for. Something only her family could do... but how did he learn it? She died, as you know, the day he was born. Moments after, actually. So who taught it to him? Are the other survivors?"

Yamato gave the older ninja a worried look, "Of Uzu? That's where Uzumaki-san was from, was it not?"

Jiraiya nodded, biting his thumb in a posture reminiscent of his lover's 'thinking pose', "Yeah. But we confirmed no survivors except Kushina... me, Tsunade, and Orochimaru went oursel... Orochimaru. He spirited some out, I'm sure of it. Even then, he was looking for ways to break safely from Konoha... We have problems, if he has an Uzumaki or two he's raised to see things his way. Serious problems. I have to go report to Tsunade. You... only repress the chakra if it hits the walls. Or it starts to cause physical damage to Naruto." Turning to the guard, who was now down the hall, "Has he so much as changed expressions since entering deep meditation?"  
The guard shook his head in the negative, "No, sir."

Jiraiya nodded, then turned back to Yamato, "All right. If he looks like he's in pain, suppress it- gently. If he comes out of it, send for me at once. But check his eyes first, if they're red... it's not him. If they're blue, it is. I'll be back when I can."

Two days later, Jiraiya had not returned. When Naruto's eyes opened late that night, Yamato had to wonder... what should he do if Naruto's eyes were red _and_ blue?

**A/N2:** OK, so before people flame me for any reason- yes, Naruto's suspended as a ninja, yes it's 'indefinite' in duration, no it's not permanent. Tsunade, despite it looking like she's being a bit vindictive, knows exactly what she's doing (and so do I) as far as this is concerned.  
So far as the lemon is concerned... yes, more is coming. Now that they aren't in a fight for their lives, deep in hostile territory, there will be time for that. And for those who (still) seem to think I've avoided the 'romance' part of the story for too long? Well... they were only gone about two weeks, three tops. That's not that long a break, no matter how you look at it, regardless of the number of chapters in that arc. And, just as a reminder in case it becomes necessary (since this is the first truly lemon-ish content I've posted since the purge): If any of my stories are purged/pulled/deleted, or otherwise harmed by the staff at Ffnet, I'm leaving the site for good- I will be pulling _all_ my stories, though I will leave my profile up for a redirect to my knew home. That is, for the record, " ", commonly known as UFF. I have the same handle there, and the same stories (all of my current stories are posted there as well, though the ongoing ones are not up-to-date yet- I've been posting OH, for example, on a weekly basis until I'm caught up). Though, of course, if I do end up leaving, I'll be catching OH up much more quickly- say, about three chapters per week- until I'm caught up, so people are neither waiting too long nor having to read through 35+ chapters in a few days. ;)

And as far as the lemon itself... no, it didn't happen 'physically', but Sakura has now learned she'd be okay with just Ino (at least physically), even if she can't admit it to herself yet. And no, Sakura is not bi, and never will be, but she'd be all right with the 'friends with benefits' thing even without Naruto... if such a thing ever becomes necessary. And yes, that does mean more lemons and lemony content are coming, just not here yet. ;)  
Lastly...

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

Again, none that I can think of. The Jutsu Ino used was a simple mind-walk, but reversed- in essence, she pulled Sakura into her mind, so she had control of the environment- at least some. The bathroom/tub is what Ino was thinking of, what she wanted, where she wanted Sakura, so that's where they appeared. The no clothes has already been discussed previously- no lies, no untruths, in your mind. Laid bare, as it were... :)


	47. Chapter 47: Who's being punished here?

**A/N:** Hey, only a week (I think?) since the last update! This is partially to make up for lost time (it had been a month iirc), and partially because I will probably not be doing OH next week... or the week after. I'm working on getting a chapter of my Fallout fic (Son of the Old World) out next week, as the chapter is half done and starts the 2nd (of three planned) arcs. Warnings: More lemon-ish goodness, but nothing quite as graphic as the last chapter... a warning, however, that there are some rather mature concepts expressed in here... and they are not for everyone. The opinions and beliefs common to those who enjoy such things are not (generally) in holding with what I myself am comfortable with (beyond a certain low threshold). I do not, in particular, agree with objectifying or 'using' women in that fashion. However, it very much fits the character of two... well, characters, in OH, so... in they go, in the interests of artistic integrity. So if it offends, I'm sorry... but I think it needs to be there.

… That, and I find the scene entirely too amusing, when taken in it's entirety, to take out.  
So, if (when you get there- there is no warning, but it starts off relatively slow and ramps up quickly) it bothers you, again sorry, but otherwise- Enjoy!

Oh, and thanks again to my awesome beta (and good friend) Mouse. :)

**Chap. 47 Who's the one being punished here?**

"Chunin Uzumaki, you have a visitor."

The Jonin currently guarding his cell received only the slightest of nods of acknowledgment, but the red-orange, bubbling and hissing chakra surrounding Naruto immediately began to subside, withdrawing inward. Taking that as a sign that Naruto was indeed ready to receive someone (and in control of his own emotions and thoughts), the bear-masked Jonin turned his head to the side and beckoned the newcomer forward with a single hand.

Coming back to reality from far inside his own psyche, yet spread outward across more than the breadth of the burgeoning village, Naruto blinked. Those footsteps, the cadence was familiar. Male, definitely, too heavy for a female... at least, a female who walked rather than waddled. But too light for Jiraiya... the stride was also too short, Jiraiya had a very long step, more than a meter, despite his usual footwear.

"Naruto!"  
The blonde's eyes widened at the familiar voice, "Hey, Sasuke. What's up?"

The black eyes narrowed in obvious annoyance, but before the black-haired ninja responded, he turned to the watching Jonin, "Can we have a few minutes? I need to have a... a _discussion_ with my team-mate, here."

The Jonin hesitated. "Uzumaki-san is not to be left alone without someone fully able to subdue the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. My apologies."

Sasuke's eyes immediately flashed red, surprising Naruto with the extra tomoe and further design changes- each eye now bore a distinct spiral, rather like the patches he wore on his usual jumpsuit, but in reverse. "I am _fully_ capable of controlling that monster if it takes over. Please, I only need a few minutes. I won't be helping him escape... although I almost wish I could."

Naruto smiled while his friend was looking the other way, amused by the fact that the mighty Sasuke had so quickly been moved to saying 'please', and asking nicely. "For what it's worth, Bear-san, I have not actually slipped in my control in months. And I won't be trying to escape- I wouldn't if the door was opened for me."

Before the Jonin could respond though, Naruto's head cocked to the side, "Well, I guess I would if the Village was under attack, but that would be it... and then you'd have bigger things to worry about, right?"

The Jonin idly scratched the top of his head with one guantleted hand while he considered. Eventually, with a sigh, he nodded, "Five minutes. If I feel the slightest bit of chakra use from either of you..."

Both teens nodded, leaving the masked ninja to walk back down the lone, dim hallway to the sole entrance point, where he stood on the near side of the door, but at least nominally out of earshot.

At once, Sasuke, heedless of the fact that the Jonin could doubtless still see (and likely hear) everything, grasped both bars, stuck his head between two as far as they could go, and hissed loudly, "How could you do this to me?!"

For the first time in more than twenty-four hours, Naruto's eyes opened. "Do what?" he asked, clearly not following the admittedly short conversation.

"This! I've had to put off my wedding for almost two weeks already, and _now_ you go and land yourself in the brig? How'm I supposed to explain this to Hinata-chan without her doing unspeakable things to me? How am I supposed to convince _both_ our fathers to wait 'just a little longer' _again_? I thought you were my friend, Naruto! Itachi and his wife have been going at it like rabbits, day in and day out, making new Uchiha babies! And now my father wants me to step up! Hell in a flower-filled handbasket, Naruto, _Hinata-chan_ wants me to step up! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get her to back the hell off when she's practically undressed you with her _teeth_?! Fuck!"

Naruto blinked at the yelled expletive, his mouth wide enough to imitate his favorite summons at the tirade his normally taciturn (some would say 'broody') friend had unleashed. But, before he could respond, Sasuke spun and smashed his fist into the stone wall opposite, sending a few cracks through the rock he'd struck.  
The black-haired ninja stayed that way for a few seconds, breathing hard, "Naruto... I don't know much about friends. But I know friends don't run out on their friends. I know they don't abandon them when they need them most. You abandoned me, and _I needed your help_. Even worse, you _made_ me abandon you to cover your trail. I'm... right now, I don't even know why I'm still asking you... because you certainly haven't been acting like much of a friend since that night at your cabin."

"Sasuke, I..."

"Save it, Naruto," Sasuke said as soon as the blonde in the cell started trailing off, "I don't want any excuses. I know... I know why you did it. I ran into those blonde girls on my way here, that noisy Inuzuka guy you room with was showing them around, trying to chat them both up... even though the older one, the Kumo kunoichi, is almost twice his age. Sure, she's a bit of a KILF, but... Nevermind! You see the kind of places Hinata-chan's been making my brain go? Do you see what she's doing to me? Hell and damnation, Naruto! I need your help! Talk to me, damn it!"

Just before the Jonin at the end of the hall started toward the obviously irate Uchiha, Naruto's confused voice echoed through the hallway, "Need my help with _what, _Sasuke?! And who the hell is Hinata-_cha_- Oh... oh... the pretty one? The Hyūga princess? Never talks? You... you're _engaged_? What the hell! How come I didn't know about this?!"

For several seconds, perhaps a minute, the only sound in the brig was the breathing of the three ninja present. After a long while, Sasuke's eyes, one red and one black, closed slowly. He took three long strides backward without looking, put his back against the wall, and slid down to hide his face behind his knees.  
Once his arms were wrapped around his knees, Naruto was surprised to hear a few quiet sobs of frustration.

"Because," Sasuke said a while later, after he'd apparently regained some control, "this happened while you were _gone_, you moron! You took off on your adventure- an adventure you needed my help on more than you needed me to cover your ass with the Hokage and the Sage, I might add- and while that was happening, I got roped into a fucking political marriage! Not that I can complain, because Hinata-chan's a _fine-_ass woman, and quiet, and sweet, and a tigress in the sack, I guess, though we haven't gone all the way, and... and hell! I needed you here for _girl_ advice, you idiot! We both thought the other one hated us for almost the whole time you've been gone! And now that we're finally past that and can start actually having a _real _relationship, I found out she's apparently a sex maniac, and has read the entire Icha-Icha series sixteen- _sixteen_ times! That's ten more than _I_ did, and I grew up with that as my sole form of stress relief, with my stick-in-the-mud brother as my only other companion! She only wants me for my dick, I guess, but her father and mine are suddenly all gung-ho about a political alliance between our families, who've hated each other for years, and... damn it all! I just needed someone to talk to!"

"Oh... I..."

But once again, Naruto was interrupted before he could say anything meaningful. This time, Sasuke had jumped up and resumed his earlier position against the bars, only to jerk back a moment later when the door behind the distant Jonin opened wide, revealing a single, thin silhouette against the bright sunlight outside. "Excuse me, Bear-san. I have a message from the Hokage for Naruto-kun... about his punishment."

Naruto recognized the voice of his Onee-chan at once. "Shizune-chan?"

"Hai, hai, Naruto-kun," the medic said as she strode down the corridor, "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san, you'll have to step back a minute... this shouldn't take long, but I was instructed to give Naruto his full punishment in private, just to... well, save him some humiliation, I guess."

The way Shizune said the last few words made Naruto shudder... and wonder which, exactly, if his adoptive parents had come up with the idea. Likely both.

Clearly annoyed, Sasuke stalked back down the corridor, stopping about half-way down. "This far enough?" he asked grumpily.

With a sigh, Shizune nodded, "That's fine... I don't really see why they ordered that in the first place, and if Naruto doesn't care... though it sounded like you guys were having a real heart-to-heart. Should I let Sakura and Ino know they have another rival for your affections, Naruto? And what will poor Hinata-hime think! Oh my!"

The look in Shizune's dark-brown eyes made Naruto cringe. Regardless of any spat he and his girls may have been having, the last thing he needed was Shizune telling stories about he and Sasuke talking... especially about whatever it seemed she thought they'd been discussing. "It's not like that!" Naruto cried, jumping to his feet, only to fall again a moment later. As it turns out, legs that have been crossed for for more than an entire day don't hold up well when asked to stand suddenly.

"Kuso..." Naruto muttered, while Shizune attempted to hide her giggles behind one hand... and failed miserably.

"Sorry, sorry about that, Naruto-kun... I just couldn't resist. Anyway... Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama wanted me to let you know they've decided on the remainder of your punishment..."  
The suddenly-morose demeanor of his big sister made Naruto cringe even more as he struggled to resume a sitting position, nursing his thighs and calves as he did. "They... they wanted to teach me another lesson, didn't they?"

Shizune nodded, "Yes, they did. As such, they have decided that, since you were the..." her voice dropped several decibels in an effort to keep the other ninja from overhearing, "the mission leader and instigator of the wrongdoing, that you will continue to act as the leader... and you must decide the _fair_ punishments for both Sakura and Ino."

Naruto jumped up again, this time in fury. He was able to make it to the bars of the cell before he collapsed, and his hands gripped them tightly enough to hold himself up as he hissed, "_What_?"

Shizune took an involuntary step backward, but returned his gaze with steel of her own a second later. "Simple... you started it, now you'll finish it. Those were Tsunade-sama's words. This was your idea, you created the mess, and you dragged those two into it... now you'll have to finish the job. It's a leader's duty to discipline those under their command."

"Then let Baa-chan and Ero-Sennin discipline them!" Naruto cried, "Not me! They'll kill me! They're already pissed at me!"

Shizune shook her head, "Sorry, Naruto- that's orders. And personally, I agree. You're really coming into your own as an amazing ninja, Naruto, but this is one of those things that any good Jonin has to know. Sometimes... you have to do things you don't like. Even punish people for doing things you asked them to do... especially when that goes against your own orders."

Naruto huffed and spun away, folding his arms across his chest, "This punishment sucks."

Shizune shrugged behind him, "Tell me about it... the first time I had to send you to sleep outside after you broke Tsunade-sama's locket? The one she got from my uncle the week before he died?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah... what was I, six?"

Shizune nodded, though he couldn't see, "I cried all night... couldn't believe they made me do it. But I learned from it, just like I think you'll learn from this. But how do you think they feel? They've just told their own son, or as good as, he has to punish his girlfriends for doing something he wanted them to do."

Naruto scowled over his shoulder, "I didn't want them to go, Shizune-nee-chan... they came on their own."

The brunette shrugged, "Doesn't matter, really. They went, you were in charge, whether official or not, and it's your responsibility. AWOL's a pretty serious thing, Naruto... especially during wartime. Especially when it's two students of the Sannin, and... well, you know your heritage now. And even more so when you consider the political fallout that might come of this."

She forestalled Naruto's outburst with a raised hand, "I know, Naruto... I know. I personally agree with what you did. I'm sure Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama agree _personally_. But this isn't about our personal feelings, this is about the good of the Village. That's why you're being punished... but because they care _personally_, they're making sure you learn something from it, even if it hurts to do."

Naruto sighed, "I get it, I get it... all right. How long do I have to decide?"

Shizune shrugged, "They're under house arrest for another day, then they'll doubtless come visit you... so until then, I guess. But it has to be approved by the Hokage before it's official, so at least an hour before that- Bear-san or Hatake-san can summon a messenger to relay it when you know what you're going to do. Remember, Naruto... it has to be fair. The punishment doesn't have to fit the crime, but the severity should. And you should be grateful it's _only_ AWOL right now, and not instigating at least one war... fortunately, the Council has been bogged down with other things, and only a few of them even know you're back right now, much less what went on in Suna and Iwa."

Naruto nodded, "Good... for now. What's gonna happen when they find out?"

Shizune shrugged, taking his acceptance of the punishment as a chance to relax and just be his big sister for the time being, "I don't know... but it'll probably be bad. They all may come down hard on you... it might be more than we can handle keeping you from being exiled, if it comes down to it. But if that happens, you know we're all behind you. And with that prophecy hanging over all our heads...  
"Crap, I shouldn't have said that..."  
Naruto's eyes had only widened a fraction, but he relaxed quickly, "You know about that, huh?"

She nodded, surprised, "You know about it?"

He grinned sheepishly, "Yeah... my mom- through Ino- kinda told me."

Shizune blinked. Shook her head... and changed the subject, "Well, that's a story you can tell me some other time... suffice it to say, for now the Council has problems enough. They apparently have been trying to manipulate the Hokage for their own benefit... and have found out that Tsunade-sama still has some teeth of her own... and a certain white-haired knight."

Naruto grinned suddenly from ear to ear, an expression Shizune never thought she'd see on someone behind bars, "They finally hooked up, huh?"  
Shizune squealed quietly, "Yes! And I won the pool, too! You and Sakura each owe me... what is it, ten ryo?"

Naruto nodded, "It's yours... soon as I get out. I'm _glad_ I lost... it would've sucked if those two clueless old fools had died first."  
Shizune grinned, and stretched her arms through the bars, "I know! Anyway, come here, Naruto... give your Onee-chan a hug. I've got more work to do, and can't stay long."

He complied, whispered thanks in her ear, and backed away.  
"Now remember, Naruto... the better you behave, the sooner you'll probably be let out. And don't forget you have to come up with something _fair_ for Ino-san and Sakura. Okay?"  
Blue eyes rolled, "Yes, _mother_. I'll remember."

A few minutes later, the medic had been replaced by Sasuke... who was downright confused as he stood at the edge of the bars.  
Apparently, Naruto had entirely forgotten his presence. That, or he was answering his questions before he even asked them. Did Naruto somehow have the ability to tell the future, as his mother apparently had?

"Telling a girl to calm down won't ever work... learned that the hard way."

Sasuke blinked. That was good advice... but what _could_ you do, then?

"Flowers and chocolates? Girls like that... but no, that's not enough of a 'punishment'. There's no way Baa-chan would let me do that to them."

Black eyes widened slightly. That was a thought... he knew, in some fashion, that it was appropriate to buy gifts to appease an annoyed girl or woman, especially if it was because of something you did. But that didn't really fit his circumstances... it wasn't that Hinata was mad at him (she was much more angry at Naruto, since she seemed to understand her fianceé's desire to have his best friend at their wedding), it was that Hinata didn't want to wait! She seemed hell-bent on getting him in the sack as soon as possible. And while the idea _most certainly_ had some appeal, the stern disapproval of his somewhat-estranged father and mother (or worse, what the cold-eyed cousin, Neji, would do if/when he found out that he and Hinata had been intimate before their wedding night...) made Sasuke quite hesitant to go much beyond some (rather heavy) petting... Hinata called it 'cuddling', but Sasuke himself thought Icha-Icha, the glorious books that they were, described it best as 'foreplay with clothes on'.

And that was all well and good, but... Hinata rarely (never) wanted to stop there!  
"Tie them up..." Naruto muttered, pacing now, back and forth around the cell, eyes on the floor, one hand across his chest, supporting the other, which was against his chin. "No... well, maybe, but I would have to do something more... tying the girls up just isn't going to cut it. Not a strong enough 'punishment', especially since they're both kunoichi and can get out of ropes."

Images flashed through Sasuke's head of his future spouse, tied quite tightly in ropes, in a fashion graphically described in Volume Three (pages two fifty-six and two fifty-seven), and in Volume Nine (several times). His nose started to bleed as he mused, _That might work... she'd definitely think it was just a new kink to try... and she'd get the references... and if I left her tied up long enough, I might be able to actually keep my virginity intact until the wedding day! If she doesn't jump me before the wedding itself, anyway... who knows how horny she'd be after being tied up like that for a couple days or whatever?_

Naruto shook his head, "No... I can't do lashes, either, that's _too_ strong... and it sets a bad precedent for the future."

The mental image in Sasuke's head suddenly sprouted several bright red, raised welts. The mental-Hinata moaned in a seductive, low voice as one particularly hard swipe slashed across the underside of one of her tightly-bound breasts.

Sasuke was too far gone in the image and Naruto's words now to notice the front of his shirt being doused in red, nor to notice that his light-headedness was not purely from arousal, but also blood loss.

"And it'd be best to do them both together, so they don't think I'm leaving one out... 'cause both Sakura and Ino are probably selfish enough to think I'm being unfair if they don't get the same punishment..."

Hinata, alone in the dark room of Sasuke's mind, lit only by a single spotlight in the vast empty black, was suddenly joined on either side by Sakura and Ino, both unclothed (though, thankfully, Sasuke had not seen enough of them to fill in the details, and his mind was polite enough to give them convenient censoring... after a fashion). Both girls were arched backwards, arms tied to ankles, totally naked, and with either leg spread over a wooden pony (fortunately for his sanity, neither were edged like the ones in the later Icha-Icha volumes).

The combination of his voluptuous future spouse, the blonde bombshell, and the athletic rosette in high-end super-pervert positions opened the floodgates of Sasuke's mind wide.

The images suddenly began to move. More welts appeared. Then sound was added.

Then Sasuke himself appeared, actually there, and the Uchiha was suddenly watching himself from both within and without his body as hands caressed lightly across welts on Hinata's body, eyes roved the lighter ones on the two that he (somehow) forced himself to stay away from... even in his head, those two were Naruto's territory... no matter how appealing they looked.

Besides, he had Hinata, his Hinata-chan, tigress, vixen, temptress that she was... all tied up and waiting, and...

The floodgates in his sinuses opened next. When the first torrent of blood hit the floor in the brig hallway, Naruto jerked and spun to face the friend he'd forgotten was present while lost in his own anxious ramblings. "Bear-san! I think Sasuke's hurt!"

An emergency Wood Clone later, Sasuke was well on his way to being carried toward Shizune, who was only two streets away by this point... she having only left herself to go take care of some 'stress relief' of her own, after hearing her little brother's rather... _poignant_ words... before resuming her own more official business.  
Those thoughts were pushed aside, however, whens he saw the affect Naruto had (unwittingly, knowing him) had on the poor, innocent, naïve Uchiha boy. While she rushed him to the hospital to deal with his sudden drop in blood pressure at the Wood-Clone's side, Shizune couldn't help but imagine the stoic, masked ninja... well, perhaps if she were honest with herself, the one who'd made the Clone beside her _and_ the white-haired, even more-quiet one he seemed to be friends with, in the same kind of situation Naruto had seemed to be describing for Sasuke.

Fortunately, as a medic, Shizune was able to easily recognize and halt her own nosebleed before her own blood pressure dropped to dangerous levels... though she still had to scrub a little extra before returning to Sasuke's immediate, more pressing concerns.

But boy, did she have a story to tell when they were all old and gray... and to tell Tsunade-hime the next time they drank together. If, that is, she ever allowed the Sannin another sip after what she'd done to Naruto and his girls.

When the black-haired young man regained consciousness two days later, his first words upon hearing the story from his quite-amused older brother were, "Damn it! It's always, all Naruto's fault!"

**A/N2:** Little to be said. Hope you enjoyed... more coming (not REALLY soon, but) soon. Yes, that was Yamato/Tenzo keeping watch, yes that was Kyuubi chakra, yes that's 'bad' (and why Tenzo, Jiraiya, and Kakashi have been the only ones able to keep watch safely)... but Naruto (kind of) knows what he's doing. Even if you, the reader, haven't figured it out yet (some of you doubtless have, it's not that big a secret if you haven't, though).

As far as the lemonish content- again, I don't hold with that personally, but hey... Hinata (apparently) does, and is dragging a (not really resisting) Sasuke in as well. At least the OH versions of them. Lol

For those who fail to grasp the concept- Naruto was talking about his actual, official punishments. He's mostly tossing out ideas that won't work for one reason or another... and Sasuke, who he's completely forgotten about at this point (rather upset, you see) is overhearing him and _completely_ misreading it. However... it's all for the best, as far as the story is concerned. Lol

Sakura and Ino will make their return next chapter, Temari and Yugito will meet a couple new (to them) faces in Ootori, and Naruto won't quite be making a jail-break... but the effects will be similar, whether he wants them to be or not. Enjoy that teaser... and remember that all is subject to change until the chapter is actually finished. :D  
Lastly...

If there's any questions, comments, or concerns you guys have, feel free to let me know- I read every review, and appreciate every one a great deal! And of course, to those I can (ie, if you're signed in... hint hint...) I always reply back personally as well, so _review_!

No, really. Review. I haven't gotten very many at all for the last few chapters. If there's something you're not enjoying- LET ME KNOW. If there's something you're particularly enjoying, _**LET ME KNOW**_.

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

Wood clones are wood clones, and that's about it. If you have to ask what a 'wooden pony' is... well... only google it if you're 18+ and allowed to look at adult-type things in your region (and if you aren't both of those, why are you reading this story?). Multiple examples of the style of rope use are in abundance on the interwebs. Use your imagination... or don't.

KILF = MILF... but for Kunoichi. If you don't understand now... switch fics. This is beyond you. lol

Sasuke's Sharingan: Yes, it's different than Canon... yes, it's Mangekyo (will be explained later as to how), and yes, he can subdue the Fox... he's actually better at that than "Tobidara" was in canon, if it comes down to it. But that won't (likely) be coming up in the story, since Naruto (and his girls) have their own methods. The significance of the shape is significant (at least a little), and I can best describe it like this: "Take his regular, non-mangekyo eyes. Add an Uzumaki Spiral... with it twisting backwards. Black on red." Anyone up for drawing that (before I, eventually, get to it) can send me something and I'll put it up on my DevART with full credit to you (if you send me a name). My email's on my profile I believe, or if not, PM me for it. If you care that much. If not, no big. lol


	48. Chapter 48: Unity?

**A/N:** Sorry, no lemon this time (for those who enjoyed the last one), and no 'prank on Sasuke', either... but there's more of it coming next chapter (last chapter, 47, was only the first half...) However, I still think this is a chapter most (everyone) will enjoy just as much as the last one- which several of you have said was quite enjoyable. So... read, _review_, and most importantly, _**enjoy**_!

Oh, and thanks again to my awesome beta (and good friend) Mouse. :)

**Chap. 48 Unity?**

"Finally!" Sakura cried, and threw her arms straight up with hands clasped, before leaning back in a powerful stretch. "Finally free!"

Beside and behind her, Ino grumbled, "It's only been two days, Forehead... and will you get out of the doorway? We're supposed to report to Tsunade-sama, remember? We haven't got time to waste. We have more punishment coming, mark my words."

But the rosette refused to be deterred from her good mood. The fact was, she knew they'd gotten off lightly, and that more was definitely coming, but she couldn't bring herself to care. After the exhausting trip through four nations (out of Fire, through River, into and out of Wind, through Stones, and into Earth before returning to Fire) which had been made at practically a sprint, not to mention all the fighting they'd done. She and Ino alone had started off by taking out an S-rank nukenin, and both had almost single-handedly taken out another in Iwa before being forced to flee.

But the best part was, after the race home, they had had two days to _rest_. In fact, they'd been literally forbidden from doing anything else! "Relax, Pig! You've had two days of forced R-and-R, what're you complaining about? I'll take my lashes now... when I've had a chance to rest up first, thanks!"

But the blue eyes behind her narrowed. "R-and-R? We've been on house arrest!"

The medic grinned, glancing over her shoulder as she started walking toward the new Tower, "I know, hasn't it been great? I mean... beds, baths, and food... real food! And all the sleep we could take! Tsunade-shishio really knows how to 'punish' a girl."

"You're entirely too optimistic, Sakura... what about Naruto, huh? We haven't seen hide nor hair of him in two days, sure, but you remember _why_, don't you? He's been locked up!"

Sakura nodded, "Sure, sure... but he could use the chance to learn a little patience. He's always so full of energy, maybe this will teach him some restraint."

The taller kunoichi shook her head as she caught up to her friend (lover?). "You're way too optimistic, that's all I'm saying. Come on... we may as well hurry up and get this over with."

"I'm glad you came quickly," Tsunade said to the pair of kunoichi standing at attention in her otherwise empty office, "stand to the side, though, right now I have someone else coming, and we need him here to decided what we're going to do with you. Yes- by the filing cabinet. And stay at attention, no 'at-ease', until your punishment is over. That's an order."

And so they waited... and waited.

(O)(O)(O)

"Woman... you are entirely too much trouble. Why do you insist on me showing you around? There are hardly any buildings finished, and we've already been walking around for two days!"

The tall blonde made sure her new fan (which she had just picked up from the local smith a few minutes before) fit snugly in the same holster she'd been using for years before answering the black-haired ninja at her right. "Nara, you should really count yourself lucky... do you have any idea how many men would kill to be walking around with a beautiful kunoichi like me? And the Kazekage's daughter, to boot?"

Shikamaru thought about holding back his groan of annoyance, but it was too much work, so he let it out. Dodging the light slap to the back of his head was also too much work, but fixing his hair if she knocked it out of place would be worse, so he paused and tightened a sandal, just as her hand flashed overhead. "Troublesome woman," he groused, "_I_ am not one of those men. I never wanted anything more than an average-looking wife, two kids, a girl and then a boy, an average career- never above Chunin- and retiring as soon as my kids are grown. Why would I want a good-looking princess? Way too much hassle."

While he spoke, Temari debated something herself- whether to bash him over the head with her fan for dodging the first hit, or just let him have that round. Of course, when he finished speaking and started walking again, she had a better plan. "So," she said coyly, refusing to look at him, and ignoring the slight dusting of pink high on her cheeks, "you _do_ think I'm good looking?"

Shikamaru scowled at himself, "I guess... you're fit enough, but too bossy and noisy for me."

As they turned the corner from the street (one of nine now in Ootorigakure, and this was even paved in gravel) the weapon shop was on to the one which had the hospital on one end and the Hokage Tower on the other, she smiled further. Then, in a softer voice, she said while wrapping his arm in both of hers so he couldn't escape, "So if I was less bossy and less noisy...?"

He was silent for a long time as they plodded along. Eventually, he responded with a grunt.

That's it, just a grunt.

Fortunately, Temari had now had two days of being shown around by her 'aide' while in Ootori, and had learned to understand his mannerisms well. "Heh, you try to hide it... but I see your blush, Nara Shikamaru. I see how you don't ever look at my eyes when you think I'm looking back. You _do_ like me, don't you?"

This time, he only groaned, making Temari's smile widen.

"Well, don't feel bad, Nara... I'm only bossy to those that need it- like you. If you were less lazy, I wouldn't be bossy at all. And as for noisy... well..."

She trailed off, which was fortunate, because Shikamaru had had enough.

He was absolutely fed up with her incessant _talking_. It wasn't that he found it annoying... (he did, but only slightly- far less than he did for most people), it was just that her talking prompted him, over and over again, to watch her mouth...

And that prompted... thoughts.

Thoughts his brain could not control, that _he_ could not control.

So, rational, logical Shikamaru did the one thing he knew he should not, should never ever do... he shut her up.

By, of course, yanking her suddenly into the alley between the largest (only) clothing store and a grocery, pushing her up against the wall with his whole body, and, just as Temari was beginning to recover from the surprise of his sudden actions, slamming his lips against hers.

Two minutes later, Shikamaru realized his chest ached from where he'd slammed up against her breastplate (it was fitted, after all, but not flexible like the body underneath...), but Temari had to fight to uncurl her toes.

When she caught her breath a few seconds later, she wheezed, "All right, Nara... you... you win this round."

He smirked, brought his lips to hers again, softer this time, but only for a moment. When she leaned into it again, he pulled away, before grabbing her arm and resuming their walk.

Just before he pointed out (for the third time) the Hokage Tower at the end of the street, Temari said, just loud enough for several other people on the street to hear, "So, when are you going to tell my father- you know, the Kazekage- that you're dating his only daughter?"

As Shikamaru fainted, the only thought he had running through his head was,_ You win this round, Temari..._

(O)(O)(O)

"Sasuke-kun," the loved, hated, feared and most desired voice echoed through the remnants of his subconscious.

"H- Hinata-chan?"

The slight giggle told Sasuke he had been right, it was his fianceé. "You had us worried, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, "My father actually thought you faked the hospital visit to put off our wedding... or get out of it completely. But you wouldn't do that, would you?"

The sweet, soft menace in Hinata's voice made Sasuke shudder. Normally, that took no energy at all, but he felt so drained, the effort left him exhausted. "Er... no, Hinata-chan. It was just... I went to visit Naruto-kun, and... and he made me think of some things, some ideas I had for... for later, when we're married. And... I guess... I was sick or something? I don't really know what happened, I, er..."

Because there was no way in hell, in _any_ hell, Sasuke would dare tell his lovely, terrifying soon-to-be wife what he had _really_ been thinking about when he'd passed out... maybe after they were married he could tell her about just the parts involving her... if she seemed receptive to that sort of thing.  
But then, she read Icha Icha even more than he did... and Volume Nine was her second-favorite.

"And what did your good friend say?"

Sasuke opened his eyes. Hinata's pale pair were inches from his own as she leaned over his hospital bed. The breath, sweet cinnamon flavored lips, both brushed over him as she spoke. "I... He was just... um... I had some... I needed some, er, advice. For... for later. After we're married. That's all... it's kind of, uh, personal."

Hinata stood up half way and looked around the hospital room for a moment, before turning to look down at him again with a gentle smile. "It's just us here, Sasuke-kun... my father came to check on you an hour ago. He seemed most distressed we had to put it off again... I hope you don't have to go through this again. Pleeeease, Sasuke-kun? Tell meee! I won't betray your secrets... I'm about to be your wife!"

Sasuke's face heated significantly, but he shook his head, "It's, uh... it's not just my secret to tell, Hinata-chan... I couldn't do that to Naruto-kun. But... but I have some good news."

Hinata's fallen expression perked up slightly, but cautiously, as if she feared the good news would not be as good as Sasuke seemed to think.

"I... I heard a rumor that Naruto's punishment is going to be severe but short. That he's got one week total, and five days of that is hard duty... and then he'll need a few hours to get his kimono set up, and then we do the wedding. So in about a week from today, you- _we_- won't have to wait any more."

Hinata looked suddenly transported to a realm of bliss. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! That's _great_ news! I'll go tell our parents right away! I love you!"

She was gone before he could say it back... but at least by now he was relatively certain he did actually love the once-shy Hyūga girl. At the very least, he was quite fond of her... and certainly in lust with her. That he'd never denied. There was always the chance things could go south for them, but... for now, at least, things were looking up.

(O)(O)(O)

"It's about time, Naruto," Tsunade said with a scowl when he was pushed through the door of her office by the masked Bear, the man she knew to be 'Tenzo', known to some as 'Yamato'. Before he left after the Hokage's abrupt dismissal, the masked ninja reported, "Hokage-sama, I've just received a report that Uchiha-san is awake, his finceé is with him now as well."

"Thank you for letting me know, Bear-san. I'll stop by after this meeting... it won't take long. You may wait outside to escort Naruto to his next punishment."

With a polite bow, the former ANBU (and likely ANBU Captain when they had the forces to re-create the organization) left the office, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Tsunade turned toward her adopted daughter and the blonde kunoichi beside her first. "Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, you have been found guilty of one count each of being absent without leave and dereliction of duty. We considered also charging you with disobeying a direct order from a superior officer, but felt that, in this circumstance, that was sufficiently rolled into the above charges to not warrant additional punishment. Do you have anything to say in your defense? Before you respond, remember that what you say might mitigate any punishment I am about to hand out, but might also make it worse if I find your reasoning... insufficient."

Ino and Sakura shared a quick look before the blonde replied crisply, "No, Ma'am. I will accept our punishment as-is. Thank you for the dropped charge."

Sakura gave a slight bow to her pseudo-mother, but was just as crisp in her response, "No, Ma'am, nothing to say in my defense. I do, however, have a question if you would allow me to ask it."

For a moment, Tsunade debated giving her that chance. Naruto looked quite worried and anxious enough as it was. The fact that neither girl had so much as glanced in his direction when he'd entered (she had been watching carefully for that) had made his tension multiply several times already. Every moment that went by increased his worry and fear...

But hey, this was Sakura. She was a bright girl, and likely had something up her sleeve with this question. Best to see what she was getting at, at least. "Go ahead. Briefly, Haruno-san."

If Sakura was hurt by the cold tone and use of her surname by Tsunade, she didn't show it. Instead, she simply maintained standing at strictest attention. Her voice when she spoke, though, was soft, so quiet Tsunade had to strain to hear it, even in the quiet office. "What would you have done? If it had been Jiraiya, off to save one of your old friends... what would you have done? Ma'am," she added, as an afterthought.

Naruto watched as Tsunade's eyes were filled with first understanding, then fury, before moving on to calm acceptance. "Haru- Sakura... you know very well what I would've done. Thank you for reminding me of that... but it's not lightening your sentence. Frankly, you two are getting off very lightly as it is, considering the political and military disaster that might still be coming out of this. You're lucky we've been able to smooth things over with the Council enough that they haven't begged for the three of you to be locked in irons. And frankly... the jury's still out on that one."

Naruto flinched, the girls merely accepted the information with well-practiced silence. Tsunade turned to the tallest of the three blondes in the room next, "Uzumaki Naruto, you have been charged with being absent without leave, dereliction of duty, and coercing two other ninja of Ootorigakure to join you in same. In addition, you have been charged with endangering the health and well-being of a Clan Heir. That charge is, however, still being debated, since at the time of your departure, Yamanaka Ino-san was not aware of her new status. Do you have anything to say in your defense, given the same warning I gave these two?"

Naruto seemed unable to stop himself from glancing over at the girls, but they still stood at attention and didn't so much as turn an eye in his direction. He seemed to wither slightly, but shook his head, "No, Ma'am. I agree to the charges, and stand by whatever punishment you deem fit."

Tsunade nodded, "Good. All three of you, at ease. In fact, take a seat... Shizune!"

As the three younger ninja obeyed, the girls on the couch on their side, and Naruto in the chair directly in front of the desk (obviously having been put there just for this meeting, since it usually occupied the office outside the door), the Hokage's aid entered. "Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

The Hokage gestured to the man she could see against the far wall of the outer office, "I've just remembered a detail of this meeting I'd forgotten- send Bear-san to check up on Uchiha Sasuke in person, will you? I'll be delayed, but I will still be on my way shortly."

After the medic-turned-secretary had left, Tsunade turned steely brown eyes on her much younger cousin and adoptive son. "Naruto... you understand what Shizune told you the other day, right?"

He nodded, looking as bleak as she had ever seen him, but resolute all the same. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade could not resist the smile that crept over her face... he was normally so informal, it was rare for Naruto to call her that. Especially without a trace of sarcasm. "You may begin at any time... and remember, the better you do here, the less your own punishment will be."

Ino, perhaps lulled into a feeling of safety from the 'at ease' and instruction to sit, blurted out, "He's deciding our punishment?! That's not fair!"

Naruto thought, understandably, that Ino's outburst was indicative of continued anger toward him, and fear that he would take his own out on them. His shoulders slumped slightly, but he did not otherwise react.

Tsunade, though, knew the truth... but considered it a part of the lesson she hoped to teach anyway. "Be that as it may, Yamanaka, you are still in some very deep water, and should best be silent unless spoken to. Also, this is not a democracy. _I_ decide what's fair punishment for the ninja under my command... of which all three of you are. Unless you'd rather run away again. To Suna, perhaps, or Iwa?"

Complete and total silence met the last statement.

When it had stretched on for several minutes, Tsunade continued with a slight glare at the other blonde, "Now then... Naruto, go ahead."

He gulped and nodded, then stood before pacing around to stand in front of the girls, looking more nervous than ever.

Sakura, thinking he would be forced to make a public apology or something, smiled as gently as she could up at him, but it only seemed to make his nerves worse.  
"Yamanaka Ino, Ha- Haruno Sakura, your punishment is to be as follows... unless overridden by Hokage-sama as being too lenient. You will spend the next five days of your seven-day punishment, starting from the beginning of your house arrest, on laundry duty in the barracks. In- in hopes you will, um... learn to obey, um- the- the orders of your superior officers."

Both of the teenaged girls felt a huge sigh of relief building... it was bad, bad enough that Tsunade would probably let it slide, and back-breaking labor besides (Ino alone went through more clothing than any five other women it seemed), but it could have been far worse. They could have had latrine duty, for example... and the tent city had now been up for months, allowing plenty of time for the incomplete sewage pits to fester.

"Hm... I like it, but it needs a little more for the message to sink in, I think... more clarity, for example."  
Sakura's face fell slightly... she knew her mother figure enough to know that was not a good sign.

"Let's see... rather than just general laundry duty, let's assign you all- all three of you- to the single men's barracks. You'll be working their exclusively... and have it all to yourselves. Won't it be a nice little chance for the three of you to talk together about what your decisions have possibly brought down on us all? I think so."

As much as Naruto might have argued against them being together in their current status of 'fighting' being a good thing, Tsunade's tone brooked no argument.  
"Yes, I think that'll work nicely. A week- a whole week, starting today- in the men's laundry will do. If your behavior is good, I'll allow you time off to attend the Hyūga-Uchiha wedding, though you'll need to make up for lost time later. Does that sound fair?"

All three nodded.

"Good... I thought it might. Lastly, you are all three on probation and otherwise house arrest for the duration of your punishment. You are allowed to tell no one the details of what you've done, or where you've been- no reason to cause a panic. That information will be shared, but not by you. Is that _perfectly_ clear? You are to tell _no one_."

They nodded again.

"Excellent... now, get out of here. Go directly home. You are to report at the men's laundry at oh-six-hundred tomorrow morning. Girls, if you don't know where it is, I'd suggest you show up at Naruto's door about five minutes earlier if you don't want to be late- the layout is a bit different than your own dorm. You will each be permitted _one hour_ after your shift tomorrow, in which to purchase necessary items for the week. Food, toiletries, etcetera. Being late returning would not be advisable. Otherwise, as I said, on house arrest, no communication except with your guards- who will be escorting you to and from the laundry as well- myself, or Jiraiya. Yes, Ino, that means you can't see your father or mother either- too much risk of you slipping with them around."

Ino nodded, almost grateful. Tsunade was right, with her father nearby, one could never assume he wasn't learning far more than you expected.

"Go, get out of here. I have patients to see."

And so they went. None noticed the three masked ninja trailing them from the time they left the Tower until they arrived at their own apartment doors.

(O)(O)(O)

"Well," said Naruto through a yawn early the next morning, "at least we're together, right?"

At first, the girls agreed. While none of them had been able to apologize for their own behavior, they seemed to have mostly put the fight behind them.  
However, shortly after beginning their duties on the first day, the true magnitude of their punishment- no doubt, the reason Tsunade had been grinning almost cruelly, and certainly with a full understanding of what they had accepted as their punishment, became most clear.

It was not the relatively clean women's laundry...

It was the laundry of, as had been said, the single men's.  
The pigs.  
The slovenly, unhygienic, lazy, filthy, animals.

But that could have been passed off as something their Hokage had simply not thought of... Naruto, obviously being one of them, had not thought it such a big deal himself.

But the fifteenth pair of slightly-stained boxers Sakura lifted from the hamper of one Inuzuka, K. put that notion to rest with a vengeance.

"What _is_ that smell? Kami, Naruto! This is your _room mate_? How do you smell this every day without vomiting?!"

Across the long room, Naruto looked over at Sakura in confusion. The clothes pin holding his nose shut would have been comical... if Sakura wasn't so annoyed she hadn't thought of it first.  
"Ugh! This... it's not bad enough to have some guys with _brown_ stains, we have to see _yellow_ ones on the front, too?! What _is_ that?!"

Ino, beside her, actually did lose what little breakfast she'd been able to eat in their rush to get out the door that morning at the thought. But when she came back up, she groaned, "I... I think I know... and you don't want to."

For the next fifteen seconds, Sakura's complexion went from pale white to a color more closely resembling her emerald eyes, before she too threw up. At least her good aim allowed the pungent aroma of fresh vomit to mask (very slightly) the smell of Kiba's underwear.

(O)(O)(O)

By the third day, the trio had worked out something of a schedule. Naruto would gather the clothing from the various hampers, making sure that all the 'unmentionables' were carefully folded inside other, larger pieces of outer wear. This, while not a perfect solution, cut the kunoichi's exposure to the smelly things to a minimum. All they had to do was throw them into the washing machines, since the guards that had been posted to escort them had (thankfully) been bribed into allowing a quick trip to the local market, where they had picked up a pair of extra long cooking tongs... because neither girl wanted to touch them. Even clean.  
It had taken a while to learn to fold the underwear using a single pair of tongs, but once they had mastered it, the team made much better time. In fact, the back-log of laundry they had been given was actually decreasing at a slow pace, even when considering the sheer volume of clothing three hundred and change male ninja went through on a daily basis.

Twelve to fifteen hour days (depending on the guard's mood) would do that.

But while Naruto was all the way across the room, Sakura took the chance to air out a personal grievance of her own with the tall blonde next to her... something that had been bothering her more and more lately, despite their own growing closeness.

"Ino... can you take me with you on a mind-walk again? Into Naruto?"

The Yamanaka heiress froze for a moment, before resuming as if Sakura had said nothing at all. "Why?"

Sakura shrugged. She looked, to Ino, slightly upset, but not for any reason she could deduce, even with all her interrogation training. That it related to Naruto in some way was obvious, but beyond that, she had no idea what the medic was getting at.

"It's just... you've been in his head, literally. You've... you've seen more of Naruto than I ever have, and I've lived with him for years. I'm... a bit jealous."

Ino blinked, checked around to make sure their guards weren't watching too closely (they were supposed to work the day through, with only stops for bathroom breaks and a quick lunch), and pulled Sakura down below the bench they were folding clothes on to be out of sight... hopefully of their watchers _and_ Naruto, should he spare them a glance. "Sakura... you don't have any reason to be jealous. Like you said, you've known Naruto for _years_. I'm the one that should be jealous! I've only known him a few months!"

Sakura frowned, "But the level of intimacy you have into his mind, the way he works... that's not something I can ever reach. At least, not on my own."

Ino shook her head firmly, "No, Sakura... I can't. I won't invade Naruto's privacy like that. It's... You know more about Naruto, the real Naruto, than I could find in a thousand mind-walks. I have to go looking for specific pieces of information to find anything of real use. I can scan general memories, but that takes forever. You _have_ hundreds of memories of Naruto... and besides, while you know for a fact a mind-walk lets you see someone at 'their most intimate', it's not really 'the real them', either."

Sakura blinked, confused. "How do you mean? You said there were no secrets. Why else didn't we even have _clothes_?"

Ino frowned, "That's... kind of half true, I guess. But look... when I first went into Naruto's mind, I told you about the garden. The time I brought you in, it was _totally_ different. It wasn't that Naruto's mind changed, because that takes time- a lot of time, usually- for that kind of shift. But what you saw of Naruto that time was not the _real_ him. It was the him influenced by the bastard Fox."  
Sakura nodded, "I know... that's why I want to go again."

But Ino shook her head yet again, "And that's why it wouldn't work. Look, yes, in a way, mind-walking someone, seeing the true core of their being, them without any self-delusions or anything, is very, _very_ intimate. But in another way... it's not. Because those self-delusions are a very large part of what makes us who we are. Can you imagine, say, Sasuke as an emotionless lump? For real?"

Sakura's mouth turned up in a grin until she realized her friend (lover?) was serious, then thought about it for a moment. "Yes... and it's not a pretty sight. He might be stunted at showing them, but at least Sasuke _has_ emotions."

Ino nodded, "Exactly. It's that kind of difference. Without being able to hide a part of who you are, especially from yourself, the whole picture isn't there. You just see... well, I guess you can compare it to a rainbow. It has all the colors imaginable in it, but we can only see, what, seven? Roy-gee-biv, or whatever? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet? But a painting, or the real world, has _so much more_. The true colors would be something you can only see in a mind walk, but that's hardly the whole picture, you know?"

For a long time, Sakura was quiet. Eventually, though, she nodded. "All right... sorry I asked, I get what you're saying I think. Consider it dropped."

Ino nodded, but pulled Sakura down again before she got half way up again. "Hold on... there _is_ something I can do...I can mind-walk you, and show you my memories... of the first time."

Sakura's eyes widened along with her smile, "You'd... really?"

Ino nodded, "Yeah. But remember... there's no clothes, and I think I mentioned before what... well, the effect the Fox had on me, that first time."

Sakura turned bright red, but nodded. A few minutes later, after they'd returned to work, Ino heard (or maybe she just imagined it?) a very faint "I think I'd enjoy watching that."

**A/N2**: Not much to say again... this is mostly building on the last chapter's stuff. More coming (at least, bigger things) next chapter- I'm not _sure_ I'll get the wedding in next chapter (at least Sasuke and Hinata's), but fairly certain- about 90%. That will be the 'big event' next chapter, and everything it entails, but there are also other things going on... things which have been hinted at for a while now. Look forward to it- not sure when exactly it'll be (I'm further behind with my other stories I should still be updating now...), but sooner or later. :D  
And as always, be sure to _review_ if there's something you liked or didn't- or if you just read for fun. Reviews are an authors' lifeblood. Think of all the times you wish you'd had someone read a chapter and not review... or favorite, story alert, whatever, and not review. It's great to know your work is enjoyed, but wouldn't it be SO MUCH BETTER if there was a review saying exactly what was so good? Well... so do I. :)

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

Nothing I can think of.


	49. Chapter 49: Strength

**A/N:** My apologies, I was wrong... the prank on Sasuke isn't in this chapter, but the next (which is the actual wedding). This is the last of the lead-up to it, though. Mind you, that's Sasuke and Hinata's wedding, not 'the big one', which won't be for some time yet. For those worried that I'm focusing too much on the side-story, well... let me assure you, I'm not. The whole reason I gave them that much time before was to set up what's going on in these next couple of chapters (and the couple previous), which is really all about our trio of Naruto, Ino, and Sakura. I mean, Sasuke is their team-mate and friend, so he's important to the story, but he _is_ a side character. OH-Hinata is even more so, though I find it funny that the more brazen Hinata (if still shy) in this one is a lot more like the AU-Hinata in the new movie... which I haven't seen yet, so don't spoil it for me. ;)  
Also, apologies (very much so) on the wait. This has been done for... oh, a month now. I just... uh... forgot to post it. Sorry. It all works out though, because I recently added a scene it badly needed at the end. For those interested in the object discussed (briefly), I will actually put up a picture of it- or a link to it- on my DevArt- for the next chapter, where it becomes important. It's not a piece of art I drew, but it is an amazing piece of work, and a beautiful creation... and I say that as a straight male talking about (no spoilers...) straight male's clothing. Whatever the color, I'd wear it in public if it looked like this one. lol

**Chap. 49 Strength**

"Alright, are you ready for this, Sakura?"

The rosette nodded at her fellow girlfriend- or whatever she and Ino were- from her position on the bed on her side of their small apartment. Sakura and Ino had both returned exhausted from the men's barracks on the fifth day of their sentence. Tomorrow Friday, somehow, they had earned the right to postpone half of day's work to that Sunday so that they could attend the wedding of Sasuke and Hinata.

But right now, they were focused on anything _but_ the wedding that the entire town was talking about. They were concerned more with Naruto, with understanding him better, in hopes that they could help bridge the gap between them.

Because neither had been happy with the, not quite silent treatment, but lack of attention he'd displayed either of them for the duration of their punishment so far. Both thought that he was taking their fight on the way back from Tsuchi no Kuni a little too far. They had all been tired, but he hadn't even given them the chance to apologize, much less done so himself. In fact, he had appeared to be actively avoiding them as much as he could during the duty.

The girls were sick of it, and they wanted to know why it was happening to put a stop to it.

"Ready when you are, Ino-bunta," Sakura whispered, a little nervously. She was dressed in her pyjamas, a light pink two-piece pant and short-sleeved shirt set, while Ino was clad only in a deep purple cami and lavender boxers, her own preferred sleeping apparel.

The blonde sat at the edge of Sakura's bed, then hesitantly laid across her friend's body crossways. "This is how I'll try to fall when I go out. Will it be uncomfortable if I lay like this for a while? Maybe the night?"

Partially trapped under her friend's weight, Sakura tried to shrug, only to stop with a nervous giggle when she found out one arm was trapped. "I guess... but let me move my arms. You aren't a light-weight, you know."

For her comment, the medic got a glare and a slap on the stomach when Ino bolted upright again. "Jerk! At least I don't have a fifty-foot forehead!"

Both teenagers, knowing full well they were each only trying to relieve the other's tension, grinned. "Let's just get on with it," Sakura said after a few moments of watching the blonde's ice-blue eyes.

"All right... just, um... don't think less of me, okay? I'm not, uh... not real proud of something I did in there. In Naruto's head, I mean."

Sakura sat partially upright to rest her forehead against Ino's and look into her eyes from a closer distance. "It's all about Naruto, right? We just want to get closer to him. I don't much care about anything besides that."

Ino had to force back a sigh. _She_ wanted much more than that, but it seemed Sakura just didn't feel the same way. Still, if it meant Naruto would be happy, and she could at least join in with Sakura... she'd take it. _Let's do this, then..._ "Okay. Close your eyes, I need to touch your temples, and..."

Ino whispered the name of the jutsu, pulling Sakura's consciousness out instead of pushing her own in, and the two collapsed. Sakura, onto the bed again, and Ino, onto her.

A few seconds later, their bodies began to twitch slightly, as if they were dreaming.

(O)(O)(O)

Elsewhere in Ootorigakure, plans were being made, finalized, and double-checked. Tomorrow was a big day, possibly the biggest event in Ootori's short history, at least since it's founding. Nearly every citizen would be attending in some way, because the rivalry between the Hyūga and Uchiha had stretched for centuries. Now, though there was a possible end in sight. If the wedding went off without a hitch, if the oldest daughter of the Hyūga family's leader, and the youngest son of the Uchiha's, had a successful marriage, it might well mean an end to the longstanding feud and dislike between them.  
At least, it might after the current generation died out, because as it seemed right now, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi would never be anything approaching 'friends'.

It was ten o'clock at night, and because the two were surrounded by families, servants, and others helping to prepare for the events- the traditional wedding and the party to follow- they were forced to keep their tempers largely in check. Largely at most, because even such well-practiced politicians and leaders as they seemed to be having difficulty keeping _all_ of the anger, fury, resentment, and/or general dislike from their words to each other as the night wore on.

"I'm telling you," Fugaku growled, piercing black eyes riveted on his opponent- no, his _ally_- while he spoke, "The arbor should be _there_," he pointed to a spot just inside the temple doors, "So all of the guests, and the bride and groom both, will have to walk through it! It's an Uchiha tradition to remind us all of our own vows!"

But Hiashi, father of the bride, was adamant as well. "And it's a Hyūga tradition that it be placed behind the priest! Only the couple should go through it, it's _their_ wedding!"

In a distant corner of the large room at the center of the temple where the wedding would be taking place at two in the afternoon the next day, Tsunade woke from a light doze with a snort. She'd been waiting for the two to finish talking about this one matter for an hour or more before she drifted off.

_Still going on about it, huh? Well, whatever... I can solve this._  
She stood up and walked over to them again. Neither seemed to notice her presence this time, much as they hadn't before. With a 'kind' and 'caring' smile, to show her 'love' for her fellow Ootori Council members, Tsunade placed one calloused hand on each man's shoulder where it met their necks. Thumbs were pushed in slightly under their collarbones, with the medic's pinky fingers digging under the backs of both mens's scapula on the opposite side. "Did you two know that these pressure points are usable by any Tom, Dick, or Harry to incapacitate people, simply because it hurts so _damned much_ when your bones are pulled apart? I did. I also know, unlike many people, that a medic can do _so much more_ with them. I can liquify your internal organs... _right now_, and no one but the three of us will ever know about it."

It might have been a bluff coming from anyone else, but it was widely accepted fact (read: rumor) that Senju Tsunade could shatter entire mountains with a finger, and her medical knowledge and prowess was literally second to none on the entire planet- at least as far as anyone could prove. The argument stopped at once.

"Also, not to get off the subject, but I have a compromise. A couple, actually, and I think you can agree on some of them _quickly_ so we can get on with this. Because you wouldn't _dream_ of ruining your children's big day with your squabbling, would you? So here's what we're gonna do... I can destroy the arbor, and you can have none... or you can get two- I know it's a rush job, but I'm sure it can be done- and call it good."

"Y- Yes, Tsunade-sama," Hiashi was the first to cave. Whether that was from fear (despite that she hadn't overtly threatened them, her fingers were still in the exact spots she'd put them before, since neither man dared move), or out of desire to just get on with it, even he couldn't say.

"Good, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked, still with the same deadly-calm smile. "Now... about the booze choices. I was thinking we could go with a larger variety, like some..."

(O)(O)(O)

"Huh. Doesn't look like much. You sure this is the real deal, Tenna?"

The older female of the four people standing atop the newly-renamed Phoenix Mountain nodded with a frown, "Yeah, this is it. Come on, let's go introduce ourselves... unless you guys want to wait until tomorrow?"

The younger girl nodded after a moment's hesitation, but the older and younger men both shook their heads. "No, we need to get down there," the adult replied, "no time for rest. There's trouble coming, and they need to know."  
The younger snorted, "I don't mind going now, but what's the big deal, uncle Asuma?"  
Scratching his beard slightly, the taller man frowned at his nephew, "You know what the deal is."

Not at all convinced, the younger kicked a stone down off the ridge, which rolled for a dozen feet or so before sliding to a halt amongst the pine needles. "No I don't. This isn't even Konohagakure. Why should we care? They never did anything for us when Fuudo died, never came to find us. Even Mist knew where we were after a while, didn't they?"

Asuma sighed. This was a long standing issue with his nephew, the only blood family he had left (or likely ever would, if he had his way). "Konohamaru, it's not that simple and you know it. They had no choice. The second we started coming together, we would've had five or twelve nations jumping down our throats. I'm not sure how Senju-san and that pervy old team mate of hers have pulled off surviving this long, but things are different now. It's gonna have to be join or die, and I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to kick off just yet. You, Ten?"

The slight kunoichi shook her head, "Not quite yet, Asuma-kun. I'd like to see at least one niece or nephew from Zan-chan first."

The younger girl glared at her aunt venomously, "Just for that, I think I'll wait 'till I'm fifty to have kids, _Auntie_."

Both of the adults snorted at the temperamental teenager's reply, but stopped when Konohamaru stepped past them, tightening his blank hitai-ate as he went, "Fine, whatever... if we gotta go play nice with these 'Phoenix' wimps, let's go already. I don't wanna put up camp in the dark, not way up here. It's gonna be cold tonight."

Asuma looked up at the near-sunset sky, surprised. The day had been unseasonably warm, but now that his nephew mentioned it, there was a certain crispness in the air. No clouds meant no heat retention, and the sun had been going down earlier these days. "Right," he muttered as he pulled out a cigarette, his very last one, before lighting it with a tiny use of elemental nature manipulation, "may's well get it over with. Come on, Ten-chan, _Zan-chan_. Your boyfriend's impatient."  
Konohamaru was past hearing, but the female teen's vehement reply made both of the adults laugh- inwardly, at least. "What the hell, Asuma-dick! That jerk's not my boyfriend! Like I'd ever date a commoner like him!"

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto was quite nervous. The next morning, he and the girls would be on laundry duty again. That was well and good, as far as it went... two days left, with the first of those split between tomorrow and two days from the current day was not that bad. The girls hadn't threatened him, hadn't glared at him, hadn't showed any signs they were still annoyed at him... aside from their private, whispered conversations to each other while he continued to work on his own.

Undoubtedly, they were still furious he had been yelling at them weeks ago, had assigned a harsh punishment (though privately he thought they'd gotten off easily, considering the damage they could have done to Ootori), but to ignore him almost completely for the entire week of their punishment? Well... he couldn't blame them. He was mad at himself, too. Maybe he could apologize after the duty was over...

But before that, there was a wedding to attend. A wedding he hoped he would be able to attend with both of them as his dates. But that caused problems all it's own. He hadn't actually _asked_ either of the girls. Would they still want to go with him? Were they prepared? Did he still want to go with them? (Of course he did.)  
But which one, if he couldn't do both? Would it be proper to do both? What about safe? If it became widely known he was dating both girls simultaneously, some people might react strongly. And then there was Sasuke, who had left a message with the Jonin watching their punishment that he would be exacting his revenge on Naruto for the 'vicious, cruel, vile prank he'd pulled' on the day of the wedding... and that if Naruto avoided the wedding, there would be 'hell to pay, and not just for you'. Naruto, of course, loved pranks, and pulled them often. But he had no idea what Sasuke was getting at. He hadn't done anything to him since before they'd arrived at the cabin, weeks and weeks ago now. Well... aside from hitting him hard enough to break a few trees, but that was just the one time, and had hardly been a prank.

_Maybe that's what he means though? I guess I can let him hit me. He's not that strong._

The distraction didn't work. Naruto's mind went, of it's own accord, back to his main worry: Sakura, Ino. Both. To ask one, the other, or both? Would they say yes if he did? What if they said no? Kami, what if they both said _yes_?  
"Maa... I'm so screwed!" he moaned, rolling over in his bed to smash his face into his pillow a few times.

(O)(O)(O)

"Mm... he sure is tasty, that boy of ours, isn't he?" Ino asked. She was now standing beside a mental projection of Sakura, both as equally naked as the memory-Ino and memory-Naruto where they had first 'met', in the flower garden of Naruto's memories about the various pretty girls he'd met.  
"Watch the flower behind me there... see him checking me out before I knew he was there? He's a total pervert, huh?"

Sakura snickered, but watched the scene with a wide smile on her face.  
A few minutes, it seemed, to them later, they were in front of the entrance to the tunnel. "Okay," Ino said, "I'm about to make Naruto go in first... if you want the best view, you'll need to overlap with that me a bit. I wasn't trying for it, but he is rather well equipped, and... well, it was a good view."  
"But what about you?" Sakura asked, confused. It wasn't like Ino, she'd quickly learned, to turn down a chance to stare at the naked mental image of Naruto.

"Oh, I think I'll be all right," the blonde said with a grin.

But it wasn't until she had glanced backward just inside the tunnel entrance that she realized exactly why Ino hadn't minded... the rosette's own trimmed fanny and derriere were plainly visible to the openly bisexual girl, who was also now grinning devilishly. "New view, Sakura... don't have to hurry and keep up now."

Blushing horribly in the shadowy tunnel, Sakura nonetheless tried her best to leave behind a now-laughing Ino, who kept up easily since she knew how the tunnel moved.

Inside the brightly-lit clearing, Ino found Sakura standing a little further back than the memory-Naruto and memory-Ino were standing. "The Fox, right?" she whispered.

Ino nodded as she stepped up beside her, "Yeah... watch. I thought at first the... the thing coming up next was because of the Fox, but I think now it's Naruto- see? Look how he grabbed me... that right there just set me off. I'm not sure why, but I'm already quivering... look at my toes, they're curling up in the dirt."

Sakura nodded, "What... what did it feel like? When he..."

Ino sighed wistfully. "Great... safe. Warm. Happy. Same way you make me feel when I can get a hug from you, but it seemed like a lot more right then when compared to the Fox's malevolence. You're only getting a tiny bit of it now, I filtered most of that from the memory for my own sanity the next day... I had terrible nightmares that night."  
Sakura nodded, "That's the kind of thing Naruto said came as his 'price' for using the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Anyway, we're about to shift again... don't think less of me, remember..."

But the present-time Ino need not have worried, because the present-time Sakura seemed enraptured... and not just by watching Naruto.

The rosette's attention shifted almost like clockwork between where the memory-Ino lay on Naruto's bed pleasuring herself wildly, and the memory-Naruto, who had brazenly touched that Ino's breast, then cowered, and was now watching with a clearly visible erection... and he was even larger than they'd thought.

"I... I hope it... it fits..." she had muttered as memory-Ino neared her climax.

The current Ino grinned, "Me too... but I hope it's a tight one. I mean, _Kami_! I'm not sure if it's the Fox, or his Uzumaki vitality, or his Namikaze genes or what, but that boy is Kami's gift to women everywhere, you know?"

Saskura snickered, "Or just us? I admit it, I'm selfish! I don't mind sharing with you, for Naruto's sake, but... I wouldn't want it to go past that."

Ino nodded, "And the only reason I'm willing to share is 'cause I can get both... you are still okay with that, right?"  
Fortunately, for Ino at least, the question seemed more and more rhetorical all the time. Because when she had asked it, Sakura's emerald gaze had been fixed yet again on the joint between memory-Ino's legs, where her hand had just come up dripping with some clear, shining liquid.

"Er... sorry, what was that?"  
"Nothing, Sakura," she said, grinning happily, "Nothing at all. That's basically it... see, now I'm threatening him not to tell anyone, and the memory's over. Let's go."

Outside the Yamanaka's mind, both girls came back to themselves at the same instant. Eyes flicked open, and both simultaneously realized they should _not_, perhaps, have been wearing underwear... because now both would need a change. But first...

Uncaring of the fact that the other girl was in close proximity to her, Sakura's hand slipped quickly below the waistband of her pyjamas and started to rub vigorously. Ino matched her with a groan, and moments later, both had come to a shattering orgasm.

"I... I don't know what it is..." Ino panted, "but when I... wow... Is it Naruto? You? Me? I've had to do that every time I've Mind-Walked Naruto, and now when I've brought you in with me. The only time I didn't is when we were in Ishi, when we were engulfed in the Fox's chakra."

The medic, now slightly embarrassed she'd just masturbated in front of another girl (who had been doing the same), pulled the blanked up over herself to hide her shame... or try at least. "I don't know, either... but... It sure seemed to affect me, too. I couldn't even have started to help myself."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Ino said, glancing at the blanket now covering the medic, "This isn't the first time... well, okay, it kind of is, but remember when I gave you a 'dream'? Same rules applied. Naked, and all that... true feelings. You enjoyed watching me get myself off, and you enjoyed me getting you off. It's... I have to be honest, Sakura, I want a lot more from you than that, but if that's all you're willing to give, I'm okay with it. I just don't think you have to be shy. I'm not... not going to change my mind. I'm as in love with you as I am with Naruto, and that's a lot. A _lot_. But still... we should get to sleep. Long day tomorrow."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah...um... good night, Ino."

In response, the blonde leaned down over Sakura and pressed their lips together. It was relatively chaste, just a little nibble of lip on lip, but still, Ino appreciated that Sakura had not pulled away, had seemed, in fact, to appreciate it. "Good night, Sakura."

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto watched the young women warily. They were planning something, he knew it. Ino wore a carefully guarded expression while she folded a stack of underwear, having grown practiced enough to do it on full automatic even with a pair of tongs in each hand. Occasionally, she would give curt, one to five word answers to Sakura, who was across the long table, sorting stacks of folded clothes into baskets. Those would, at the end of their long day, need to be delivered to the appropriate dorm rooms, room by room.  
That was the part Naruto hated the most. It wasn't that it was arduous, just time consuming. He was not allowed to use jutsu or even chakra, or he would have the job done in a few minutes through the use of Shadow Clones. Since he couldn't use them, however, it took nearly an hour for the three of them together to take the baskets, one at a time, to each of the dorm rooms as labeled, return, and take another set until each of the baskets was gone and each room had two sitting, full and clean, outside their doors waiting for their owners to pick them up.

_How can three hundred something guys go through that much laundry every day, anyway?_  
What Naruto was failing to realize was, of course, that there were three hundred fifty _rooms_ in the building, and each houses two men between the ages of fourteen (there were a few younger regardless) and thirty five (still a few older ones), and that those men were ninja... who got dirty in training, practice, combat (what little they saw) and missions, of which there were plenty. Even with those out on longer-term missions and patrols, there were still nearly five hundred men in the dorm at any time, and that was a lot of laundry for anyone.

"Ugh," he groaned, having noticed that both the rosette and blonde girl had been staring at him for a few minutes. They looked away when he looked up, both giggling slightly to themselves. "I'm so dead when the wedding's over and our punishment is done... but I gotta ask... Somehow. How'm I supposed to ask them if I can't talk to them whenever I want though?"

An astute observer might note that the girls had been talking all day in low voices, and their Jonin guards had not cared.  
Naruto, while sometimes quite observant, did not notice, and felt rather stuck. As a result, he was quite unprepared when the girls suddenly turned toward him, walked over and grabbed his arms, and then started pulling him at a run by both hands outside the dormitory.

At first, he resisted, claiming that they were going to get him and themselves in trouble.

But the Jonin merely nodded to each other and followed, keeping a respectful distance back, but close enough to stop them easily if there was any rule breaking being done... which they had not done as they left.

Or as the girls chatted animatedly about clothes.

It wasn't until the two of them practically threw him into the more upscale fo the three clothing shops currently in Ootori that the clues were put together...

They were being allowed a half day for the wedding, and had been given a couple of hours to get ready.

_As good a reason as any to be thrown into a store front full of suits and fancy kimonos. How can anyone wear this stuff on a regular basis?_

"All right, Naruto," Ino said brusquely, "We have to get ready. You have exactly two hours- and _only_ two hours, because we won't be late- to get your outfit picked out, back to your dorm, showered, and dressed, and then to pick us up at our dorm. If you're late, we're going to be... unhappy. But don't just walk in! Knock on the door like a decent person, okay?"

He nodded dumbly. "So... you... you two still want me to go with you? I thought you were mad at me."

Sakura and Ino shared a rather sad look before the emerald eyes of the shorter girl turned to him again. "Naruto... _we're_ the ones who have to apologize. We were both pretty tired and tense, but that doesn't excuse our actions. That fight was our fault, not yours."

He shook his head firmly, "No! It was mine, I shouldn't have said-"

But Ino shut him up with a kiss before pulling back so Sakura could do the same. "Naruto," the medic said after she'd pulled away too, looking up into his eyes from a few inches away, "We forgave you the next day... do you forgive us?"

The blonde shinobi nodded, a bit dazed by the double-team kisses. "Good," Ino smiled happily, "then we're all good. Two hours... don't be late, or we'll miss the wedding, okay? And no peeking at our dresses until we answer the door... I mean it!"

"All- all right. I won't, I promise!"

He watched the girls run at top speed out of the small clothing store again, already planning how they would take turns doing each other's makeup and hair to get ready on time, when he turned with a rather lost look toward the older, foreign man. "You've waited until this day to get an outfit for Uchiha- and Hyūga-Clan wedding, have you? Well," he said with a slightly annoyed tick, "Let's see what we have left... I'm afraid most of my stock of the more modern suits has already been taken, and I only have a few less desirable kimonos. We'll see what we can do for you, Uzumaki-san, but I make no promises at this late point."

Naruto didn't particularly care that the man knew his name, apparently everyone in Ootori did by now. He was a little more concerned with the fact that the choice was so limited... until the very first thing he saw in the kimono section turned out to be predominantly bright orange, and he fell in love all over again. "Yosh! That's _perfect_!"

Somehow, some part of the girls now several blocks away knew that Naruto was about to disappoint them... but in a way neither would really be unhappy about.

**A/N2**: So yeah, next chapter is the wedding. It's half-done (ish) as we speak, and opens with Naruto pacing around outside Sasuke's door while he gets dressed, so I really don't have a choice any more... there's not much I can stuff in there without calling the wedding off. lol

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

There were several terms in here, but none I really feel that need to be covered. Possibly 'fanny' and 'derriere', but... well, derriere, for those that don't know, is a French word for 'buttocks'. 'Fanny' is slang for the part of a female covered by her pantsu... on the front. If I have to go more in depth, sorry... you're probably beyond my help, and shouldn't be reading this fic anyway. :)

Oh, no, one more quick thing that may or may not come up in future. There's a fairly common misconception on the difference between a 'yukata' and a 'kimono'. Both are wide, long-sleeved (usually) robes, traditional Japanese dress. The Yukata, however, is much thinner and lighter, and is generally only worn around the house or in summer (the summer festival clothing, basically just a single robe, is a yukata). The Kimono is much thicker, since it's actually several layers of clothing (usually including a yukata on the innermost layer, actually), and much more ornate. Nowadays they are only worn for the most formal occasions, but in feudal Japan, they were fairly common even amongst the lower classes, though theirs obviously weren't the silk that many samurai and their daimyo wore. Basically, the rule of thumb is this: If it looks fancy, it's a kimono. If it's rather simple in design, it's a yukata.  
That does _not_ mean a yukata is any less nice-looking, mind, it's just a much simpler garment in general. The kimono has more pieces, many more.


	50. Chapter 50: To-Love-You with a capital T

**A/N:** So yeah, sorry about the wait (again). Real life and all... sucks, don't it? Still, holding down two jobs (and one is even a writing job- I'm a journalist now), so I can't complain. Even if the pay's still not that good. Lol

On the upside, I seem to (finally) be past the block I had with this arc (which was really just forgetting what I was going to do to end the chapter, which I have now remembered). As well, I have started another couple of stories (one of which is gonna be another _huge_ HP-universe project), and have done more in my NaruTen story as well (including posting the first two chapters), _The Ruins of Love's Legacy_ (TROLL), as well. That'll be my next main project once OH winds up... and maybe after I finish LB2 as well. That is also coming along, finally, but it's not flowing nearly as much as I'd like. I could probably write the remaining arc in a week if I could get it to do so... I've been looking forward to it forever, but I can't seem to get one part (like with OH) down.  
Anyway, enough whining and complaining from me- enjoy the much-awaited chapter, and thanks as always to my greatness-personified (and he'd agree) Beta, Mouse!

Also, Merry Christmahannukwaanzika. :)

**Chap. 50 To-Love-You with a capital Trouble**

Naruto paced back and forth outside the door to Sasuke's dorm anxiously. He had in his arms the carefully-wrapped bundle of his own orange outfit for the evening, but was dressed in more casual clothing. He'd been able to run to his own place and shower, but had been needed at Sasuke's by four... it was now four-fifteen, and he hadn't gotten in the door. When he had knocked, at three-fifty-two in the afternoon, the Uchiha had cracked the door, glared at Naruto, and muttered, "I'm getting dressed, you have to wait."

And that had been it. While Naruto had been requested, originally, to help Sasuke with said dressing (Kimonos, especially the high quality ones traditionally worn by a couple about to be wed were intricate affairs, and often required an extra set of hands). But Sasuke, it seemed, hadn't gotten even that far yet, if the towel around his waist when he'd cracked the door was any sign. That was, of course, nearing twenty minutes ago.  
Naruto knocked again. "C'mon, Sasuke," he muttered, "we gotta hurry... or I'm gonna have to get dressed in the hall! I don't have time to cross the whole building twice..."

There were a few soft footfalls to be heard on the other side of the door, then it opened with a click. Naruto could just make out, in the darkened room beyond, a pair of black eyes set against a pale face. A face which, even in the dim lighting beyond, seemed rather off-color. "Is there anyone else with you?" Sasuke's voice came back, partially muffled.

Naruto shook his head, "Nah, just me."

"All right... get in here, quick," the young Uchiha muttered, yanking the door open and pulling Naruto in by the arm, before slamming the door shut again.

"You... you all right?" the blonde asked, feeling around awkwardly for the light switch behind him, while Sasuke maintained a tight grip on the arm holding his kimono.

"Leave it off," the black-haired ninja said sternly, then, "Sorry... I've had been gawping in the windows for two hours. Doesn't matter that I'm on the _third floor_, apparently, with a village full of ninja... Anyway, why're you here? Why aren't you dressed? The wedding's in two hours... we're supposed to be there in twenty minutes!"

Naruto rolled his eyes at his friend's inability to process simple information sometimes, "Because you locked the door and kept me waiting outside for twenty minutes, that's why. I haven't seen anyone trying to peep, either. Did you develop a fan club while I was gone, or something?"

Sasuke's face turned a little more green than the pasty yellow it had been.  
"You... you gonna throw up? 'Cause if you are, you gotta get out of that kimono, man."

The Uchiha shook it off, though, "No... nothing like that. They're mostly Uchiha and Hyūga... wanting to see if I 'measure up' or something, I guess. Get dressed, Naruto! We've got to get moving... and I'm not setting foot outside that door without my escort."

"Your... escort? Who else do we need to wait for?"

Black eyes rolled, "_You_, you moron! You're going to keep me safe... they won't want to be seen with a hardened criminal, or whatever people are saying, so they should leave me alone."

"Fine, whatever," Naruto rolled his own eyes, "where should I change?"

Sasuke blinked. "Uh... here?"

Naruto's face colored. "But you're..."

Resisting the urge to slap his hand onto his face with lethal force, Sasuke growled. "Get in that Kimono, Uzumaki Naruto, or so help me, even that Fox you keep in your belly won't save you! Because _nothing_ will save _me_ if I'm late! Hinata will have my soul stripped and flayed! Get your ass _moving_!"

Grimacing, Naruto immediately began to strip. Sasuke had the decency to turn away, though that was largely because he had to finish tying his own Obi in the complex knot of his Clan. Where he'd learned it, Naruto did not know, since Itachi had been just a boy himself when the Fox had attacked. _Then again, he has had a few weeks to get ready for this... I wish we'd had a chance to find out _before_ we went to Suna, and Is- Iwa. I could have at least mentally prepared for one of my better friends to be in an arranged marriage. _

_Still... I'm so glad it's not me. I've got enough relationship issues as it is, without adding an arrangement on top of it._

(O)(O)(O)

The wedding itself, as such large events often do, had a great deal of stress in the lead-up for all parties involved. However, that stress paid off. The priest who tied the red string of fate (or love, and you would hear a thousand reasons for each depending on who was asked) around Sasuke and Hinata's wrists, binding them together, many people in the crowd cried.

Naruto, standing a short distance behind Sasuke, resisted the urge to wipe his own tears away. This lead to the one hiccup during the event. When, following the (slightly) less staid customs of the Uchiha, after the ancient marriage ceremony was complete, the two newlyweds exchanged rings.  
It wasn't a big deal, Sasuke would later commiserate with his only male friend, it was just a broken finger...  
Yes, Naruto misjudged the distance to his friend's waiting hands because of his teary eyes and broke the poor groom's finger in the process. But it would heal. That's what medical jutsu were for, right?

At the reception however, the Village-wide party (because the few not invited had shown up anyway at one point or another), two significant events happened for people _not_ the newlyweds. The first happened, as these things often seem to do, to the most unexpected person.

Again following the Uchiha's newer, more modern traditions, a bouquet of flowers was thrown by the bride, backwards. The superstition was that whichever maid caught the arrangement would be the next to marry.

In a waiting line-up of civilians and kunoichi alike, there should have been little contest: the girl with the best training should have won.

But, that's not exactly what happened.  
It wasn't Naruto, or anything silly like that... because Naruto was not a girl, and wasn't standing anywhere _near_ that line. In fact, he was instead focused on getting a camera ready to take blackmail snapshots of Sasuke's face when he found out he had to remove the ceremonial garter from his new bride... in public. He'd been told, after all, by Sakura herself that Hinata's garter was worn _very_ high for a reason...

_It's gonna be priceless!_ He thought, anyway.

Instead, the show was stolen by a tall, slender, brunette. She had brown eyes, and all together looked rather... average, in a pretty sort of way. A kunoichi, certainly, if the reflexes she displayed (by catching the bouquet without looking at it, having been striding by behind the waiting girls, ignoring the 'event'). But as the whispers and attention the blushing girl was suddenly drawing caught Naruto's attention as well, one figure in particular was staring, open-mouthed, at the teenaged girl who was desperately trying to pawn the shameful flowers off on anyone who would take them.

"T- Tenten-chan?"

The girl froze.  
"Is... is your name Tenten?"

Naruto, and several of the girls nearby that weren't weeping at their loss, watched on as a relative newcomer to the town, one Naruto had not been introduced to but which had apparently been treated to a VIP table near the newest couple, looked at the tall, younger girl in amazement.

"Y- Yes? Do I know you, um...?"

"Tenna," the older kunoichi said with a faint smile, before throwing her napkin to the ground and standing to move around the table swiftly. The three others, an older and younger male ninja, and a younger girl the older closely resembled, were left gaping as well when the kunoichi drew the younger into a tight embrace. "Oh, Tenten-chan... I'm so... I just... but... but _how_?!"

Tenten fought out of the older's embrace after a few seconds, now glaring suspiciously, "I don't... what are you talking about?"

With a pained sigh, the older woman backed down slightly, "It's obvious you don't remember... understandable, since you were only one or two. I can't believe I even recognized you! I'm Yoshiyuki Tenna. I'm... I guess I'm your aunt, though my sister and I said you were more like my cousin..."

Tenten blinked. "I'm... but I'm an orphan. I don't know who my birth parents are."

The older woman waved off the concern, "But _I_ do! Your mother's name was Yoshiyuki Taniya, formerly of the Mizuchi Clan, and your father was Yoshiyuki Doko... the former Fire Daimyo's youngest brother."

Gasps filtered through the crowd.

Even Naruto knew the Yoshiyuki name, which allowed him to put the VIP status together with the rumors he'd heard about the woman's appearance. _So those are Zan... something, the heiress, and the guys are the Sarutobis? Asuma and Konohamaru? This Tenten girl is a relative of theirs?_

"I don't... you're mistaken, miss," Tenten shook her head and turned to leave.

Most ninja would hesitate to grab the arm of another ninja who obviously didn't want to be detained, but Tenna showed no fear as her niece whirled on her, holding the now-limp bouquet with one hand as a shield and trying to draw a kunai with her other.  
Tenna's grip, however, was unwavering, though her voice was still a bit warm and kind, "Please, Tenten-san... come, sit with us. I'd like you to meet your _actual_ cousin... though I will not insist."

More jaws dropped.

"I don't... but I... I don't have any family..."

The older kunoichi shook her head and said softly, "You do now, Tenten-chan... and I am part of it, if you would like me to be. So is Zankako, over there."

The brunette's eyes flicked to the table where the white-haired young girl and the two shinobi were staring from. "I... um... okay?"

Still in obvious shock and quite confused, Tenten allowed herself to be led to the table, where the older male, the one Naruto thought must have been the Third Hokage's son, rose to pull out the last chair for her with an easy smile. "It's good to meet you, Yoshiyuki Tenten-sama. Or should I call you by your other family name?"

Woodenly, Tenten shook her head, "I... never had a family."

"Yoshiyuki it is, then," he said as he pushed the chair in and resumed his own place beside Tenna, leaving the kunoichi between he and the newcomer, "I'm Sarutobi Asuma, and this is Sarutobi Konohamaru, my nephew. And of course, Ten-chan has already mentioned Yoshiyuki Zankako, who I guess is your cousin."

The two teenaged girls stared across the table at each other for several long, tense seconds, before the white-haired one nodded with a small smile, "I like you, cousin. I'll try not to hold being slightly higher in the succession over your head too much. How do you do?"

Naruto watched and tried _not_ to listen in- and failing miserably- for several more minutes as they slowly drew the shell-shocked girl into the conversation, doing their best to make her feel warm and included.

_Damn,_ Naruto thought, _I'd hate it if I had to grow up alone, not knowing who my family was... even if I didn't find out who my parents really were until recently, I still always had a family. It would suck _so much_ not to have that... poor Tenten. Maybe I should be friendly with her, too. She's gotta be pretty overwhelmed by all this._

The other event happened much later, just before Sasuke and Hinata were been driven away by the horse-drawn carriage which would take them to a newly-finished wing of the married ninja's barracks, a wing that featured actual apartments. They would only be staying for the week of their honeymoon, and then would return to Sasuke's and Hinata's apartments for a week in the Uchiha tradition, but after that would have their own place in either of the Clan's under-construction home or the same couple's barracks, as they decided.

But this event isn't about them.  
No, it's more to do with two blondes and a pink-haired teenager.

It started out innocently enough, of course... as these things often do.

"Na... ru... to..." Sakura whispered as the sweaty blonde lead her from the dance floor, "I'm... well, I missed you. I like dancing, and I'm surprised you're so good at it, but... I want to do... well..."

Blue eyes blinked, then narrowed slightly in confusion. It wasn't like Sakura to be so... unsure of herself. "Want to do what? Get more champagne? Those cool snack things on the table? Or punch? Or do you want to dance more? 'Cause I think Ino's already getting jealous... I've been out with you two more times than her."

Indeed, both of them could see the tall blonde staring at them, tapping her foot with arms folded below her ample chest at the edge of the floor.

"No," Sakura blushed, "That's not... you know what? Nevermind... you take Ino out for two more songs so we're even, and then come find me, okay? I'll be... probably out on the balcony."

"Uh... all right. You ready to go again, Ino-chan?"

The other blonde, who they'd just reached, nodded impatiently and grabbed Naruto's other arm, "Yeah... let's go!"

So they danced. It was a little weird for Naruto to be pulling moves he'd learned all over the Elemental Nations (at the frequent clubs or parties Jiraiya had dragged him to, often kicking and screaming) in such a fine kimono, but many of the younger crowd, including Sasuke and Hinata themselves, were attempting the same thing, so it didn't stand out too much.

Ino was both more and less daring than Sakura on the dance floor. She was less inhibited by others in general, but as she had been a female raised by her very protective father and with a much-skewed ratio of males to females in their clan home, largely without other male partners to dance with, so she was reticent to do some of the things she had learned as part of her social training. Not that Naruto knew any of that, of course, but it meant that while Ino was perfectly happy to dance _very_ close to she and Sakura's shared beau, she wouldn't exactly grind her pelvis into his, which the medic had done at least twice, when she thought no one was watching (in error, of course, because their adopted father and mother were both watching them like hawks, and eagerly exchanging whispered bets the entire while).

The dancing across the floor was winding down, only a few more couples (including Sasuke and Hinata) on it when Ino, her dance tally now equal with Sakura's, lead Naruto back to the rosette kunoichi and her best friend.

"All right, Sakura, you can take the lead, I guess," Ino pushed their boyfriend toward her, making him stumble slightly in the kimono before he recovered. When he had stood up to his full height again, he found himself inches from Sakura's face.

She was flushed slightly, but leaned in. Naruto's eyes widened. They had kissed, a few times, now. That wasn't the problem. But she'd never been so forward in public! He didn't know if... and Baa-chan and Ero-Sennin were watching! He could _feel_ both of them leaning forward in anticipation eyes wide! But- but Sakura wasn't stopping.  
Did that mean she wanted _everyone_ to know?

He didn't mind... why would he? He loved Sakura... and Ino, too, of course. But...  
The soft lips, unmarred by make-up aside from a light gloss, met his own. He was surprised to taste a hint of cherry... though, given her name and hair color, he shouldn't have been.

Sakura melted into him, wrapping her toned arms around his waist and bringing her body flush with his as her tongue slipped around his lips before darting between them momentarily. He unconsciously leaned forward when she pulled back, making her smirk faintly.

"My turn!" Ino demanded, grabbing Naruto's shoulders and pulling him around to face her. The taller kunoichi was not generally as inhibited as the shorter, not by any stretch of the imagination.  
While Sakura had moved into Naruto slightly hesitantly, as if unsure of herself, and kissed him gently, Ino _demanded_ his close proximity, and shoved her tongue inside his mouth as soon as their lips met. It was, Naruto felt, typical of Ino. It wasn't that she had to one-up Sakura, she was just less restrained all around, more openly passionate. He didn't care, didn't even have a preference as far as he could tell, but felt that each girl's actions were uniquely them.

Of course, having the gentle, loving (but still 'involved') kiss from Sakura, followed immediately by the intense passion of Ino's tongue-wrestling caused a certain hormonal change in Naruto's body. Nerves tingling with pleasure and anticipation, he returned the kiss with fervor. As Ino's arms slipped around his neck, his hands fell to her hips. She immediately started grinding herself against him, making his hands move up and down as she moved.

He was quite surprised to feel Sakura's hand on the small of his back, and pulled away from Ino just enough to glance at her worriedly. She didn't appear upset... in fact, she was watching, wide-eyed and lips parted, panting slightly... what did that mean?

"Naruto-kun..." Ino moaned, trying to capture his lips again, but he shook his head teasingly.

"Sorry, Ino-chan... Sakura's turn."

The rosette grinned, and Ino reluctantly pulled back. This time, the shinobi took charge, pulling Sakura toward him with a quick switch of one arm to wrap around her slender waist. He didn't pull the other hand from Ino, keeping her close as he dove into a kiss with Sakura that equaled the heat of the one Ino had just given him.

He was unaware of several pairs of eyes watching him, of course, lost in the moment as he was... and that's where the trouble started.

Several members of the full council were watching the boy as he switched back and forth between the prominent, politically powerful, though young, kunoichi. Several wheels started to turn, as they wondered who, in the end, the Jinchūriki would choose... and wondering why the girls didn't seem to be that jealous of each other's attention. Many plans were being hatched by the time the next event, just seconds later, happened.

Jiraiya began to giggle, his cheeks already flushed.

Tsunade, having been waiting for just such an occurrence, whacked him on the back of the head with her open palm, sending him sprawling to the floor face-first. When he came up, his face was covered in blood... but she had the feeling much of it had come from the nosebleed _before_ she hit him, not after. "'Hime! What was that for?!" he demanded, not bothering to look at her.

"You're perving on our son and our daughter, Jiraiya..." she growled, "in _public_."

He attempted to straighten up, to his credit, but the damage was already done in her eyes. "Now you owe me four hundred ryo for losing six bets... and another two hundred for perving in front of me to go in the Ero Jar. Looks like I'm getting that day in Yugakure sooner than I thought!"

"But- but 'Hime!" he groaned, tearing his eyes away from the girls kissing his adopted son, "I wasn't-"

"You _were_," she growled, leaning in close enough to smell the blood dripping from his chin, "and you'll pay up."

By the time he had actually handed over the currency, the thought (mixed as it was with some horror) that she had actually won a bet for once had completely slipped her mind.

Karma, of course, didn't forget such things... after all, the Legendary Sucker never won for a _reason_.

The last important witnesses were the happy newlyweds themselves.

Hinata had broken off from their final dance, eager to get on with the wedding night and the 'main event' (and finally get to go all the way!). She had stopped, however, to watch open-mouthed (and blushing slightly, though she would never admit it), as she watched Sasuke's friends and sometimes team-mates grope (tamely) and kiss (with admirable skill all around) each other. This, with Hinata's obsession with all things 'romantic' (or as she thought to herself, 'Ecchi'), combined to set her pulse racing.

Sasuke, himself increasingly obsessed with all things 'hentai', also paused to watch his best friend and best man make out with two girls at the same time. He, of course, was only slightly jealous... because while he knew Hinata was the jealous type and would never let that happen for him, she was also _very_ eager to please... and inventive. She'd proven that in the weeks they had been actually courting... and he had the chafe marks to prove it. Now, though...  
"Come on," Hinata whispered, "let's _go_, Sasuke-kun!"

He needed little urging, his own pulse was racing, and he was entirely ready to 'get on with it' himself.

That is, until about ten minutes later, when the newlyweds raced up into their new, temporary bedroom, slammed the door shut behind them (not bothering to lock it), and ripped each others clothes off.

Sasuke had seen Hinata's breasts unclothed, had felt them, had had much of their round, soft flesh between his lips at one time or another, but had never seen _all_ of her.

And he hated himself for missing that chance, for holding her back, because he _knew_ she had never wanted to stop once they had finally found the common ground that allowed their relationship to progress. Now, though...she was all his.

While Hinata found Sasuke perfectly attractive-looking, she wasn't so interested in physical appearance, so much as _performance_.

And that's where things went truly south.

Because she was already wound up, and so was he... and neither particularly wanted to get involved with foreplay. However, as he lowered her hastily to the edge of the bed and slipped between her legs, he set both hands on her breasts and started to knead...

Hinata growled in a low, sensual voice, "I'm wet, I'm horny, and if you don't put it in _now_, we're going to have a _problem_, Sasuke-kun..."

He gulped, incredibly turned on by the girl's forceful bedroom voice. Sasuke moved forward, the tip of his member just grazing her glistening folds.

Images of Ino and Sakura kissing Naruto flooded his mind, only replaced by Hinata- two Hinatas- kissing him like that.

And the tension was suddenly too much.

Semenal fluid erupted from him in a powerful, shuddering orgasm and, panting, he sank to his knees.

Once he became aware of what was going on, Hinata was sitting upright on the edge of the bed, her legs still around him, and her white eyes sent the most _terrifying_ glare in his direction.  
Frozen in fear, he could only gulp as his new wife gently pulled the long, gooey string of... _stuff_ from her stomach and held it, dangling, in front of his face. "Oh, Sasuke-kun... I'm so... disappointed. It _doesn't_ happen to every ninja, Sasuke-kun... I want my satisfaction!"

"I- I- It's not my fault!" he cried out suddenly, but as her hands fell into his hair and gripped tightly, making him wince, he only had time to finish one more sentence, "It's all Naruto's fault!" before she rammed his head between her legs and ordered, "Mouth! _Now_!"  
He, wisely, began to put his mouth to work. It was uncomfortable, at first, and she didn't let up for several of her own orgasms- twice squeezing his head painfully between her creamy thighs- while his body recovered enough to ensure they would finally be able to finish the deed.

It was no surprise to him, then, that while she was sore the next morning... he didn't think she had any right to complain. Tongues, after all, should _never_ be forced into _that_ long a workout... but the culmination of the night was, he thought, _very_worth it.

**A/N2**: Read and review. Seriously. You know you want to... everybody's doing it!

… Maybe. ;)

And yes, this is the 'last' of the Sasuke/Hinata stuff. They're still characters, and will be seen again, but it's the end of their 'romance' aspect in this story. Everything in that genre from here on out is NaruSakuIno... and there's plenty of it, though of course, hints of Jiraiya/Tsunade too... and Konohamaru and his mystery girl (who isn't really a mystery at this point).

Till next time, kiddies!

**Glossary:**

None I'm aware of... the 'party' was more western-style to help counter the very traditional actual wedding, in case anyone's curious.


	51. Chapter 51: The Beginning and the End

**A/N:** Not much to say this time, except to reiterate: There is a brief (very) mention of the wedding a bit ago, but that's it. No more SasuHina for a while- they aren't even in this chapter aside from said mention, and that's just for timing setup (because it will matter _next_ chapter, when all this happens).

Also, the long-awaited first 'real' lemon. But I won't get your hopes up, while it's perfectly readable, it's not, I think, my best work... but more will be coming. No spoilers from me, however. Lol  
Thanks as always to my beta, Mouse, for his timely work- I got this to him late-ish last night, and he had it done when I sat down this morning, so he gets a few kudos and/or cookies for that alone.  
Until next time- Enjoy!

**Chap. 51 The Beginning and the End**

"Naruto," Sakura purred as they left the wedding, both girls hanging on one of Naruto's arms, "Can we head to the cabin?"

"S- Sure," the blonde said, a little nervously. Not only was Sakura acting... well, not-Sakura-like, but there was a certain timbre, a tone, that she'd used... he'd never heard it before. Heard things like it from one woman or another, even occasionally aimed at him, but... not from Sakura, his first love. "Uh... all of us?"

Ino giggled, "No, not tonight, Hero... tonight's just for you. I'll get my turn tomorrow, promise. If you promise me, anyway."

Flushing red, Naruto nodded, "Um, of- of course!"

He wasn't an idiot... he was eighteen, and knew exactly what they were getting at. Being raised in large part by Jiraiya, the biggest pervert on the continent, hadn't helped.  
At first, Naruto thought that would get him in trouble, but the lecherous look that stole over his face instead made both girls giggle. Sakura was glad Naruto hadn't seen their game of janken earlier that day while they'd been getting dressed. He would probably have hated the idea that his 'first time' would be settled by mere chance.

Of course, to Sakura, there had never been any doubt. All playing and fun times between she and Ino in their minds or that one quick time in the shower aside, the first time she had sex- _really_ had sex- would be with Naruto... and Ino with him as well. They had both decided that long ago, though the medic had the mind-arts kunoichi beaten by about ten years on that particular front.

When Ino split off to her family's new complex of small homes and one large longhouse for communal activities and clan barracks, Sakura urged Naruto to speed up... she didn't want to wait any more.

As a result, the normal trip from the town outskirts to their cabin took only twenty minutes, though part of that had to do with the recent area of the village nearly doubling as more and more of the old clans and families, as well as a few newcomers, flocked to the Ootori name and banner.

That time, interestingly enough, happened to coincide with the time a certainly newlywed wife got her newlywed husband back to fully prepared to 'seal the deal'... after scolding him severely for letting her down, of course.  
There may have been whips involved... the world will never know.

But this particular story is not about them, as deep as their love may be.

Instead, it was about a certain eighteen-year-old, almost nineteen, medic-trained apprentice of a Sannin, and her barely-eighteen-year-old combat specialist apprentice of another Sannin.

Their high-speed run stopped at the door of the cabin, where Naruto sent his long-time girl (at least, he thought of her that way) a nervous glance.

She looked back shyly, struggled for a moment to unlock the chakra security seals without looking, and led him into the dark, cool cabin. "S- So," Naruto asked into the darkness as she lead him on, "Y- Your r-r-room? Or m-mine?"

"Mm," she hummed for a moment, "Tell you what... why don't you get your room ready to sleep in, then hop in the shower? It's been a long day, and we're both tired. I'll take a quick one first while you're prepping everything. I think Shizune washed our bed things last week, anyway, and they probably need to be put back on."

"Uh... al- alright," Naruto nodded, glad for a few more minutes' time to psych himself up. It wasn't that he was scared... far from it. He loved Sakura to death, knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and Ino, but... what if he let her down?

That was his only worry at that moment... not being up to the task of making it good for her, too. Not that he feared that overly much either, however. He knew without a doubt that Sakura would not abandon him for one bad night.

But she deserved the best, and he wanted to give it to her.

(O)(O)(O)

Of course, as she crept down the stairs, clad only in a wide, fluffy, lemon-colored towel, Sakura thought to herself that her definition of 'the best' was a bit different than Naruto's... or at least, different than Naruto's likely thoughts on what she thought of as 'the best'.  
The water had only been running for two minutes out of his usual ten, so the medic was sure her plan would go off without a hitch.

It was simply, really... after the game of Janken (as any mature adult can tell you, there's no more civilized way to decide something than a child's game) which had resulted in her victory, Ino had nodded and, again displaying her maturity, stepped aside to give Naruto and Sakura this night for themselves.  
In return, the taller, more buxom blonde would get the next night, Sakura-free. After that, heavens willing, they would try... together. Sakura had no worries about that final step, she already knew that even if she wasn't bisexual as Ino claimed to be, that she was... well, okay, maybe not perfectly comfortable doing sexual things with the blonde, she liked the feelings it evoked well enough to do it anyway.  
Her only worry was possible jealousy. But Naruto... well, he was _Naruto_. He didn't get jealous that way, and frankly, Sakura felt he had more than enough love for the both of them. So why make him choose? Besides, if their parent-figures' fears had any validity, no one else would give them flak, either. With two powerful lines (her own and Naruto's) to continue, and the Yamanaka in no danger of dying out but in need of fresh blood... there was no danger. Her own children (she gave a little blush and squeal of delight at the thought) could carry on her parents' lines, while Ino's could carry on Naruto's. Legally, anyway.

Taking care to step over the last, creaky stair, Sakura paused on the landing. Three paces ahead, were doors to the kitchen on the right and the living room on the left. Immediately to her left, though, was a linen closet... and on the right, the downstairs bathroom, where the shower was running, no doubt steamed up already.

And in that steam, would be a naked, wet, and solidly-built Uzumaki Naruto.

She shuddered slightly, but whether from anticipation or anxiety, Sakura couldn't be sure. Maybe both.

With one hand clutching the fold of the towel lest it slide off early (she did not quite have the curvature to keep it firmly in place, she mourned almost daily), the other fell to the doorknob and gave it a slight turn.

There was no sound as the door slid open, other than the sudden increase in noise from inside.

The door latched again behind her silently, and, with a mischievous grin more commonly seen on her would-be mate, Sakura knocked softly on the door.

"Just a couple minutes, Sakura-chan!" came Naruto's voice, clear, yet muffled slightly by the sound of falling water.

The curtain, a crimson almost mahogany in shade, was pushed aside quickly after that. Naruto jumped, sputtered, and turned away from the door, "S-Sakura-chan?!"

"What is it, Naruto?" she purred, pulling on the towel slightly to loosen it, now that she was inside. Her heart was pounding, she was sure her cheeks were as pink as her hair, and her stomach was thankfully nearly empty, or she felt as if she'd have lost her lunch. She was just that nervous. And yet...

"Thank Kami it's you! I thought I was under attack!" Naruto gasped with relief, but he didn't turn around. Instead, a moment later, she watched the muscles in his back ripple as he tensed up again. "Uh... S- Sakura-chan...? What are you..."

"Mm... turn around, Naruto. Turn around, and you'll see what I'm doing in here."

Even from behind, she could see Naruto's neck convulse as he swallowed reflexively. Cautiously, slowly, he took one step to his right, away from the shower head, and wiped his eyes free of water. Then, agonizingly slowly, he turned around, cerulean eyes shining.

(O)(O)(O)

If he had known, Naruto would probably have laughed at how his heart rate mirrored the kunoichi's own at that moment. But he knew better than to deny Sakura something she wanted. And... and she was not a child. Neither was he, not anymore. If she wanted what he thought she wanted...

Who was he to say no? After all, had he not professed to desire this very thing? The last real proof, short of actual life-long commitment, to each other?

He loved Sakura with every fiber of his being.

Just as he loved Ino.

That didn't seem strange to him, or illogical. Love, after all, knew no boundaries. If 100% of him was committed to Sakura, then 100% was committed to Ino. It was more through... overlap, than any physical or mathematical impossibility.  
Not that he cared about such lofty thoughts, of course, because hey, he was Uzumaki Naruto. He cared about his family, his friends, and more so, his girls... who were both friends and family.

With a gulp, Naruto opened his freshly-wiped-clear eyes, and turned.

Shower head and handles.  
Edge of the tile... shower still running, Baa-chan would have a fit about that later.  
Toilet. Sink...

_Sakura_.

In other words... _Heaven_.

She was about four inches shorter than he, six while he stood in the tub, lithe and toned, like a gymnast or swimmer. Clad only in downy yellow...

And that fell, and Naruto gained a new definition of 'Heaven'.

He had seen Sakura naked before, of course, and in this very room.

But not like this. Not with her almost-shyly, almost-confidently baring herself, on purpose, though she'd left gravity to do the work. Then, he had walked in on her quite by accident.

Now, she stood before him with a soft smirk, hips slightly cocked with one hand resting on them while the other held open the shower curtain, "Is there... room enough in there for me?"

Naruto gulped again. "S- S-sure!"

With casual ease and confidence, the medic slipped under the stream of water, pushing Naruto back even further as she did so. "Good," she said with an audible smile, "that means we can, um... save water."

"Y- Yeah... conservations, um, good," he murmured, incredibly distracted by... well, _her_.

Because Haruno Sakura, the girl he'd played with as a child, had grown up (kind of) next to, had in actuality grown up wanting to one day marry, was leaned over, away from him slightly, while she washed her hair. He could see the thinnest, tiniest patch of pink- two slightly different shades- between her ass cheeks, which were _staring_ at him.

Long, slender, muscular legs, too, but those didn't hold quite the same sway as her back, almost as toned as his own, though much paler. Or...

Kami above, Naruto was watching Sakura take a shower! And she _wanted_ him to!

For a brief moment, the blonde considered all the things which had gone wrong in his life- and there were several- and thought them well worth this brief interlude, this serenity, the feeling of belonging... oh, and raging, passionate lust. That was important, too.

But he only just realized, right then, the effect Sakura's naked body, dripping with scalding-hot water, was having on his own.

She, facing the other way, could not have known...

And yet, Sakura backed up two steps quickly as soon as her hair was rinsed free of shampoo, pressing his hardened shaft between her rear cheeks. "Mm... Naruto," she cooed, "My hands are, um... sore. Can you, er, w-wash me?"

His penis twitched, and the friction of it pressed against her warm flesh made Naruto jump. If his pulse was hammering in his veins before, it was nothing compared to now. "Y-Yeah," he muttered, barely aware he was speaking, while one arm reached idly for the loofah, the other around Sakura for the soap.

"No, Naruto," she squirmed slightly against him, "Just use your hands. Please?"

The loofah fell to the shower with a sodden plop, and was promptly ignored.

Naruto spent the next ten minutes worshiping Sakura's body. He did exactly as she had asked, and washed her... and only washed her. Gently, yet thoroughly, his hands roamed her form. But despite his mental detachment- the only way he could be sure of finishing the job without making a mess and requiring them to both get clean again- Naruto was still memorizing every small curve, every plane, every line, every perfect imperfection on her nearly-immaculate white skin.

When she was completely lathered, Sakura stepped under the spray, eyes open, and turned to face Naruto. Only then did she allow her emerald eyes to slip down his own form. She smiled.

"Naruto," she said, neither cooing nor purring, but in her normal voice- though he could hear it quake slightly- "I know... I know you planned things out tonight. You want our first time to be, well... perfect. But can you do me a favor?"

With a gulp, he nodded.

Yep, he _had_ known what Sakura was planning.  
His pulse rate increased again. A part of his mind wondered how much more it could take, before it exploded in his chest.

"I have to admit," Sakura said, stepping closer, "I've had a bit of a... a fantasy. It's kind of your fault, too," she continued, voice dropping to a near-whisper, "Ever since that one time, when you walked in on me... I've thought about you, in the shower. And me, in the shower with you. So... can we do that? Please?"

"Urk," was the intelligent response.  
Naruto would be lying if he hadn't fantasized about the same thing- for years. Almost a decade, in fact, since he'd first started noticing girls were more than just boys who wore dresses and peed sitting down. But this... this wasn't a fantasy, some delusion, or a hormone-riddled wet dream.

This was Sakura, awake, conscious, in-her-right-mind Sakura, telling him she had dreamed the very same thing.

His penis lurched again, and she smiled when the tip touched her lightly just above her navel. "I..."

One hand, still cool despite the hot water, wrapped around his hard length. She didn't stroke, but instead lightly caressed him, stepping closer still, so there was only enough room between them for himself and her one hand, "Please, Naruto? I know you want it to be special... and I do, too. But I want it to be special my way. Is that so bad?"

"I... Kami, Sakura," he groaned, closing his eyes and looking away so he wouldn't have to see the burning... something in her eyes. "I want to, so bad, but... but if we do it right now... I mean, I was just gonna, um... finish myself off, so I would l-last longer when..."

Sakura's eyes widened, but a devilish grin stole across her face, "You were going to jack off thinking about me, weren't you?"

Numbly, dreading her reaction at this admission, Naruto nodded.

But he need not have feared, because Sakura only stepped closer, pulling her hand away so his dick was now wedged between them. She slid up onto her toes and down once, reveling in how Naruto's body shuddered at that small contact, "I don't care," she said, voice low and sultry, "If you put it in me, and you come right away? I won't care. Because I know you, Naruto... you won't leave me hanging. You'll do everything you can to make it good for me. If not the first time, than the next, and the one after that. All night, right? After all, we don't have to be anywhere tomorrow... and Ino won't be here until noon."

Naruto gulped. "R-Right..." he agreed, wondering if there was not some hidden flaw in her logic. There had to be, because this was not according to his plan. But at that moment, he was only aware enough to know how discombobulated he really was. "I... I guess we can do it in h-here... if... if you're s-sure?"

In reply, Sakura leaned up, pressing him more fully between them, and nibbled on his still-dripping neck. "I'm sure," she said after pulling away, "now... I'm already sopping, I _hurt_ with the want of you... so no foreplay. Turn around, push me against the wall, and take me, Naruto."

With a gulp, he did. He was gentle, of course, and was nice enough to bear her weight by hoisting both of her thighs onto his own strong arms, lifting her body up high enough to place his tip at her center.

(O)(O)(O)

For a moment, Sakura marveled. She knew Naruto was physically strong, but she was not a light-weight. On the small side, yes, but she was also a ninja, and her body was packed with muscle. She weighed upwards of one-fifty, even at only five-six. But Naruto was casually holding her up, her entire weight braced between his larger form and the wall, without apparent effort. True, he had leverage on his side. Her thighs were resting near his elbows. But still...

Then she felt the hot tip of him against her, and Sakura looked into deep, blue eyes. She nodded, "Do it, Naruto..."

And he dropped her. She cried out in surprise, not pain, but was caught a moment later.

Naruto had hissed, his face scrunched up. She was... uncomfortable. Not in any pain, having broken herself deliberately three years before, under Shizune and Tsunade's advice... both as a woman in a harsh world and a kunoichi, it was the safer choice. Besides, evasion training under their blonde master could have done it, if the choice hadn't been made, and a slip-up from pain there could have been lethal.

"Naruto," she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing her modest breasts against his chest, "You don't have to hold still... I'm fine. You can move."

He grunted, "Can't... hurts. Too... too tight..."

Slightly wide-eyed, Sakura pulled back. Surely not...? She was aware, from a medical standpoint, that Naruto was larger than average. Even significantly so. But he wasn't a giant, and she wasn't tiny, either. So...

Oh. "S- Sorry," she said, a bit sheepishly, and then relaxed her PT muscles, "I was... a bit nervous. My bad?"

The crushing tension gone, replaced now by a feeling almost as tight but infinitely softer, more comforting, soothing even, embraced Naruto's dick. He sighed in relief, "Y- Yeah... never... never thought I'd... um, have that... problem. Thought it was the girl that, um, h-hurt..."

With a wry smile, Sakura asked, "So that's why you just dropped me?"  
He nodded, "Wanted to... get it over with."

She leaned in, and planted a tender kiss on Naruto's neck. "Well, thanks for your concern... but I'm _fine_. I can feel you twitching... just move, already!"

Again, Sakura was forced to marvel at his upper-body strength. He held her in place with his arms, while his hips slid smoothly back and forth, slowly at first, but with rapidly increasing speed and forcefulness.

Seconds later, he was panting. Sakura was close, very close, but knew he'd hit the edge before her. So she took one hand off her lover's neck, and rubbed her chest for a few seconds, before heading southward to pinch her clitoris between her first and second fingers. Not hard, just enough to...

She gasped, and her body began to shake.

A moment later, the barely-there trembling of her vaginal walls massaged Naruto past the breaking point.

He groaned, grunted, and began to ejaculate with a final thrust, deeper than any before, into her.

Six seconds later, they both hit the bottom of the tub with a thud when Naruto's knees gave out.

While Sakura's orgasm had been small, and half-self-induced, she couldn't complain. He'd lasted almost five full minutes, and that after she'd driven him practically mad with the shower and washing. Still, one small one was better than none, like many girls she knew of had their first time... or even fifteenth.

While he panted, sprawled uncomfortably on the bottom of the tub, Sakura rose, careful not to step on her lover, to stand under the spray. She just allowed the water to run over her while he -and she- recovered. Her legs were trembling too, after all, and the only reason she felt able to stand was that she hadn't been supporting two on them.

When Naruto's clear, blue eyes fixed on her green ones again, she smiled happily, "So, next time we do it in the shower, both of our feet need to be on the ground at the end."

"N- Next t-time?" he asked, rising to sit now, and apparently unable to take his eyes off the water running down her chest and between her legs, where a now-runny trail of white still slithered downward.

"Well, yeah," she frowned half-mockingly, "you didn't think I was just gonna have sex with you once and call it good, did you? I said it before, Naruto... I'm yours. And that's never changing, not if I have my say."

His nervous smile made her day... even more than the sex had.  
"Now," she said, slipping out of the shower and bending- her ass toward him, just for fun- and picking up her towel to dry her hair, "get washed up again, Naruto... I'll be upstairs, in your bedroom. Waiting for you... I'm sure you can find it in you to go again."

She didn't need to look to know that his wide eyes were pasted on her unclad rear, which swayed as she sauntered from the bathroom.

Ten seconds later, she focused her mind as her new best friend had taught, and thought, _Ino, are you there?_

Two seconds later, the girl's mental voice came back, _Loud and clear. How... how was he?_

_Kami_, thought Sakura, even mentally breathless, _I jumped him in the shower. It was... short, but he'll get better. By tomorrow, I'm sure he'll be up to ten minutes instead of five._

A few seconds later, a dumbfounded Ino thought back, _He lasted five... his first time? You do know the average is two, right? Or less?_

Sakura mentally scoffed, _Of course I do! I'm a medic, I know practically all there is to know! But... this is Naruto. He doesn't do things the easy way... and you're starting to be familiar with his stamina. It apparently applies to... well, everything._

Ino's mental laughter rang through the telepathy the blonde was using, had, in fact, been using for the last two hours- no doubt straining her own chakra reserves to the breaking point- to half-listen-in to Sakura and Naruto's first time, _Tell you what... I've gotta drop soon, and I didn't get nearly as much as I'd have liked, so you'll have to tell me all about it when I get there tomorrow. We may as well give Naruto some time to recover too, right?_  
_Right,_ Sakura thought, smiling as she toweled off, _I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Anyway... I'm planning on going again, as soon as he gets up here. And if he can manage it, all night. I don't mind if you listen in, but I'll probably be too distracted to actually let you in. So next time, maybe?_

_Sure,_ came the quick reply, _but I still want details. Have a good night, Sakura... you lucky bitch._

The medic snickered out loud at her best friend's jealousy. It was the first real sign of it she'd shown since the two had decided to share Naruto, but Sakura couldn't blame her. After all, he only had one 'first time', and as far as they knew, it was Sakura's. But that didn't mean Ino didn't have a first time all her own... and besides, she'd get over it.

Eventually.

The door opened slowly, and Naruto tentatively poked his head in, "S- Sakura? You still, um... still talking to me?"

She snorted, dropped the towel into one hand before throwing it into the hamper, and lay on the edge of the bed, legs spread and on the floor, "You tell me if you want me to talk to you... or do other things."

His nervous smile was quickly replaced with a more confident one, as he strode into the room. She was a bit disappointed to see him wearing boxers, but those quickly joined her towel in the hamper.

"Now," she said, watching as he stepped up to tower over her, "Are you going to show me what Ero-sennin taught you, or are you just going to be a brute?"

Naruto sank to his knees at the edge of the bed, giving her a hard look, "I'm going to make you regret bringing up the old man while you're naked in my bed, Sakura-chan..." he said, voice rumbling, though she knew he was not angry.

When his tongue and fingers went to work between her legs, Sakura had no idea how she could regret that, if this was the result.

Thirty minutes later, when she passed out, she still didn't regret it... though Naruto did, because he didn't feel right about doing anything more when she was unconscious.

So he was forced to lay there beside her, watching a blissfully knocked-out Sakura snore cutely while the sweat he'd made her exude slowly tried, until two in the morning when thirst awoke her.

Of course, after she'd run- naked as the day she was born- downstairs to get a drink, she'd pounced on him again, straddling him, and taken care of that problem with abandon.

He was still inside her, using Sakura as a blanket, when his morning wood woke him up at nine... and as he tried to slip out of her, Sakura had moaned and started moving her hips against him. "Hell of a way to wake up, stud," she groaned.

Then he'd flipped her over, and made her see the light of day in a whole new way.

**A/N2:**Not much to say... more coming, of course, unless I drop dead. I probably won't be able to do another OH chapter this week- work and other commitments- but I'm going to do my best to have it typed up sometime Sunday, and from then on, be my usual weekly or so schedule for updates... even if it's not OH.

No glossary this time, either.


	52. Chapter 52: Climactic Catastrophe

**A/N:** More lemon in this chapter- it's the later part. Just FYI, the timing for this chapter, the previous, and part of the next is all more-or-less simultaneous. So if things seem confusing... they're supposed to be. For instance, the first scene in this chapter is the same night as Sasuke and Hinata's wedding, just late- like 11:45. From there, it's again mostly in order, but not completely... you'll probably see why later.  
Enjoy!

**Edit: **I seem to have at least localized the issues I've been having with the line/paragraph spacing. I blame Gdocs and the transfer to/from .ODT format. Since the part I typed up in Gdocs (on my lunch break) was the only part of this doc I had an issue with, it seems likely. So I'll be doing things the hard way from now on. lol

* * *

**Chap. 52 Climactic Catastrophe**

"Patrol Six never came in?"

The thin, tall, and silver-haired Jonin shook his head, his frown hidden by the cloth mask he wore, who looked over the others in the room before replying, "No, Hokage-sama. They were due to report two hours ago. With the Sand on maneuvers near the border..."

"I'll get someone on it," Tsunade said with a low voice, "Dismissed. Oh, and Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Send out two squads of the best... and probably a couple of your ninken, too. As an early-warning system."  
"I'll get right on it it, Hokage-sama," the tall Jonin said with a bow, before turning and leaving the small meeting room with deliberate haste.

"Well," Hiashi, sitting next to Tsunade, scowled as well, "Patrol Six... that was the Chunin pair of Izumo and Kotetsu-sans, and the Genin that may or may not be a mystery heiress to Hi no Kuni, correct?"

"Yes," Fugaku, sitting across the table from Hiashi, replied, his voice more quiet than anyone else in the room was used to, "and they were lead by the Clan Head of the Yamanaka, were they not?"

Tsunade, glancing at the report Kakashi had dropped in front of her without preamble before explaining, nodded. "Yes... we should expect contact through him, unless they've killed him or put him in chakra limiters. Inoichi is rumored- and reported- to be a master of every jutsu his Clan specializes in, so I'm fairly certain he will be able to contact us... barring those two situations, of course."

For once, Hizashi spoke up before his older brother could comment again, "If they have access to a council member, they might be able to gain many of Ootori's secrets... it is an advantage I would not wish them to have."

Jiraiya, for his part, simply stood from his own chair on Tsunade's other side, and began to pace around that side of the room while she watched the remaining Council- now short two members, with Obito's defection- discuss things. They had a little bit of time, even if Suna was marching straight for them.

And why wouldn't they? The army that had been 'practicing' near the borders of River was massive, nearly twice Ootori's force. Even if only one in fifty were ninja, they still outnumbered the fledgling Village badly.

And Suna's warriors were as hardy as their ninja... as adaptable, and as able to make use of the battlefield. That, Jiraiya knew, was a product of the harsh environment where they lived, where one had to scrabble simply to survive sometimes.

Into the discussion, which was rapidly growing more vociferous, the Inuzuka matriarch, Tsume, slapped both hands on the table, her claws already extended, and stood to her feet, "I say we go out and get 'em! Inoichi might be a girly-man, but he's not a pushover! If they attacked him hard enough to bring him down, they're obviously hostile! We should attack while we still can!"

Akimichi Choza shook his head, and casually yanked Tsume back into her seat by her collar. She bristled, but the normally easygoing man ignored her glare and hiss of anger, "We can do no such thing. Attacking any army in _their _borders is clearly an act of war, and-"

"We're already at war if they attacked our patrol!" Tsume shouted.

Choza, however, continued to be the voice of reason, "We don't know that. We only _know _that they haven't reported back yet. It's only two hours late. Maybe they had an accident? Maybe they are pinned down because they don't want the Suna forces to find out they're that close? Besides, if they were patrolling inside River itself, that would be even worse if they were caught."

Like Jiraiya, one other member of the council watched almost placidly, though he hadn't taken to pacing behind the Hokage yet. As if he ever would... the heavily-scarred Morino Ibiki had seen too much of the reality of war to do such a thing.

Ironic, in a way, since Jiraiya had seen much more of both reality _and_ war, and he seemed to be pacing like a caged animal.

But his team-mate... yes, Ibiki was glad it was Tsunade who was the Hokage. While she was a medic, she was also a better leader, and while perhaps not a better fighter, a better battlefield commander. He had, after all, served under the Sannin in the last great war, though he had only been a Genin at the time. He had witnessed Orochimaru's betrayal, had only just made Chunin when the Fox attacked...

Morino Ibiki would be damned if he allowed Konoha- or whatever they were calling it- fall again.

"Council meeting adjourned for now," Tsunade interrupted the growing argument, her calm voice bringing silence to the shouting adults at once, "this is now a meeting of war. As such, we are under wartime protocols, as of... nine-thirty pm. Hiashi, Fugaku, Tsume, Choza, I expect you to inform your clans as soon as possible. Choza, I'd also like you to stop by and inform the Naras if you can... I'll send Jiraiya to talk to the Yamanaka shortly. They'll need a debriefing, given their direct involvement in the situation."

The ninja nodded. The time for discussion and fighting, since Tsunade had enacted those protocols, was over. It was not a council of equals lead by a figurehead...

It was a council of war. They were Captains, but she was the General... and she would be obeyed.

"Once you've got your families ready, get back here. We need to plan, and we need to plan fast. Ibiki, can I count on you to get the Village ready?"

The scarred man nodded once, and that was it.

"Jiraiya," she turned her head only slightly to look at her lover, though he was standing almost directly behind her now, no longer pacing, "Send a messenger to the house... I hate to break up the girl's plans for Naruto, but we need them here. Not least of which because they're probably directly in an advancing Suna force's path."

"Right," he growled.

"And Fugaku, that means you're to recall your younger son and his wife as well."  
"My daughter," Hiashi growled, "is not a ninja."

Tsunade only shook her head, "I'm aware... but she _is_ a trained medic, is she not? And her eyes, according to your younger daughter, are the second most powerful in your clan... behind only your own. We need her active in triage, if not better places, if the worst happens."

Reluctantly, Hiashi nodded.

"All right, get to it," Tsunade said. Two seconds later, the room was empty except for her and Jiraiya, who now had a hand on each of her very tense shoulders. The massage was nice, but not nearly enough.

"'Hime," he moaned, half-sincerely, "How many wars is this? Five?"

Tsunade shrugged, and stood from her chair to turn into Jiraiya's arms, which curled around her. It _almost_ made her feel safe. "Six, I think... if you can count the destruction of Konoha as a war. Or Hi no Kuni after it would be... what, nine? Or just one more big one?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." he groaned again.

She smirked into his chest, "Don't think too much about it. I try not to... let me know if you figure out how, okay?"

He chuckled himself. "Yeah... will do. … You think the brats'll be alright?"

The crushing- literally, the Sage heard his ribs crack under the strain- hug she gave him told him that had probably not been the best thing to ask.

(O)(O)(O)

Across Ootorigakure and it's outskirts, even dozens of miles away in some places, doors were hastily knocked upon, or thrown open with a shout.

Words were uttered. Often, they were harsh, stern. But others, perhaps more frequently, they were soft, concerned... even worried or anxious.

By dawn the next day, Ootori had largely been emptied of civilians, the majority having fled through the recently-dug-out path up through Phoenix Pass.

That the fleeing refugees were walking over the remains of what had once been the Village's most stalwart protectors, or at least a monument to them, was lost on few.

(O)(O)(O)

"All right," a groggy Sasuke answered the door, a thin blanket wrapped around his body the only shield against the chilly early-morning air, "All right! What's going on?"

His older brother, dressed in full combat gear, was standing outside his door. "What's up, Itachi?"

"I am sorry, little brother," Itachi's flat delivery made Sasuke's blood run cold. He was _never_ that cold with him! "And I apologize to your new wife, as well. However, there is a situation... and the Hokage is recalling all active ninja. She has specifically ordered Hinata-chan to report to the hospital, where she will likely be requested for triage duty."

"Sasuke-kun?" Hinata's hesitant voice called down the hall.

Somehow, a part- just a small part- of the worry which flooded through Sasuke fell away at the sound of her voice. "It's all right, Hinata," he said as calmly as he could, "but you need to get dressed. We're... under attack."

Itachi nodded, glad his brother had grasped the enormity of the situation. After all, his own wife was already on her way up the mountain, more upset that she was a refugee _again_ than anything else.

But, he had been able to- he hoped honestly- promise her that her family would not be lost and forgotten for years like last time.  
No, Uchiha Itachi had decided that come hell or high water, Ootori would be victorious. Suna, if they dared attack the Phoenix, would learn just how hotly Hi no Kuni's Will of Fire still burned.

After all... it wasn't just his little brother that he had to protect, anymore.

He had a whole new family... two of them. Three, if he counted his in-laws. And while he wasn't fond of most Hyūga's arrogance, his brother seemed to have truly lucked out in that regard. Hinata was sweet, demure, and according to the spying he'd done on his little brother's behalf, a real tiger in the sack.

… Not that Itachi would know anything about having a wife that way.

Because the recently-renamed Uchiha Tsunami was, like a good wife should be, utterly perfect in every way. And there was obviously no deep-seated, family-spanning urge for Uchiha men to like women who were outwardly calm, yet very adventurous and commanding in the bedroom...

Nope.

Somewhere across town, Uchiha Fugaku, father of the two young men talking through the still-open doorway, sneezed. His wife wiped the residue off her naked breasts with a glare, and told him to get back to it, _now_.

He, wisely, obeyed. After all, when it might be your last chance to be told what to do _that way_...

(O)(O)(O)

Haruno Sakura, adopted child of the Sannin, Senju Tsunade, and third-best (she thought) medi-ninja on the continent, groaned as she sat up from the bed. "Naruto?"

But his bedroom was empty, aside from her. A hand placed on the divot in the bed next to where she sat showed that he had been gone for a few minutes, not more than ten... it was still warm, but not that warm.

She stood, winced, and debated for a moment out loud, "Hm... heal it, and suffer again, or...?"

A wicked grin stole over the rosette's face for a moment, before a green-glowing hand moved low over her abdomen. "Naruto might enjoy it... and if he doesn't, then I won't heal it up again. Easy!"

It took a whopping thirty seconds for the skilled healer to repair the damage to her hymen and slight chaffing from their repeated bouts of love-making the night before.

With a satisfied grin, she set about sneaking across the hallway to choose her outfit for the day... or at least, her outfit until Naruto (she hoped) ripped it off her.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto looked up from the sizzling eggs in surprise when the door to the kitchen slid open. "Naruto-kun," Sakura called softly, "I appreciate the thought, but _I_ was going to come cook breakfast for_ you_..."

The blonde's gaze quickly flew back to the eggs. He'd only caught a glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, but the shock of pink hair on her head was enough to send him into a full-on blush-fest.

_Wow... last night... and early this morning, too, but..._ "Are... are you, um... Good morning?"

She sidled up next to him, and casually slipped an arm around his waist.

He didn't seem to notice the press of bare flesh against his clothes. At least, not yet. "It _is_ a good morning, yes!" she chirped, "In fact, I haven't felt this amazing in... ever!"

Naruto gulped. That was one question answered, but it raised... more. Many more. "Um, so..."

In response, she gently took the spatula from her lover, set it in the pan, and turned the heat off. Then, Sakura pushed him until he was facing her, and stepped back.

Naruto's brain, already working overtime, shifted into another, higher gear he didn't even know existed.

The apron was simple, light pink, several shades lighter than her hair. She was shoeless, and if she was wearing a top, he couldn't see it past the apron... which wasn't that large.

"Naruto," she purred, taking another half-step back, then a full step toward the table where, blushing, she began to turn around.

Naruto's overheating mental processor ground to a halt.

There was another patch of pink... this one darker than Sakura's hair, and both puffy and moist. "I was... hoping for another kind of breakfast..."

Mechanically, Naruto, somehow, made sure the entire stove was off before his shirt flew off his torso. Before he had reached the table, his trousers were off, and his boxers around his knees- and still falling.

It took either a miracle, or a supreme act of effort on his part- he was not sure which- for Naruto to halt, one hand resting underneath the apron on Sakura's flat belly, the other cupping her right ass cheek, which was already pressing against his hardness. "S- Sakura," he groaned, "Are you... sure? Not... not too sore?"

To reply, Sakura stood on her toes, thrust her hips back, and lowered herself _just so_, with one slender, cool hand reaching between her legs to guide him inside. She hissed slightly in pain when he broke through again, but shuddered all the same. She was more used to it, now, and the pain was less the second time. "Very sure," she said as casually as she could, "I healed everything up... just had to, um... re-break me."

Naruto's eyes widened... but that explained the wetness dripping down the lower half of his length. He didn't think she was _that_ turned on yet.

"Get to it, stud," she purred, leaning over the table now.

The sight of Sakura's bare, lightly freckled back, interrupted only by a few wisps of her long, pink hair and the apron ties around her waist, was enough to get Naruto moving.

Slowly, more slowly than the night before (the first time, anyway), he pumped out and back in. Both moaned.

Then the kitchen door slid open again... and both froze.

"Don't mind me," the voice said, "Carry on."

For a brief moment, Naruto hesitated, wondering if he dared... Sakura might kill him. Then again, given who it was, she might kill him if he stopped, too. "S- Sakura?"

She shuddered, moaned, and Naruto felt her _flex_ around him, "Move!" she grunted, thrusting her own hips back against his.

So he did.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino checked her watch casually. She was early... but she didn't care. There was only a half-hour left, Naruto and Sakura wouldn't mind. _Besides_, she thought, _maybe I can make them breakfast... they were probably up all night. I know I plan to be._

There were slight sounds coming from within the cabin, but it was impossible to identify with the sound of the forest around her. Reaching into her pocket, the blonde withdrew a key and slipped it into the door.

Once inside, the key returned to it's place, and the sounds became clear as soon as she shut the door behind her.

They were in the kitchen!

Ino's face was quickly overrun with a powerful smirk. Not just any smirk, but one filled with confidence, and most certainly lust. She had to wait another thirty minutes for her turn at Naruto, yeah, but there was nothing saying she couldn't enjoy herself in the meantime, right?

And a show? Well, that was just what the medi-nin called for!

The crack she opened in the sliding door was just enough to see the ribbon of blood tracing down the rosette's legs.

_They didn't...? No... she had to have fixed it. There's no way, after all that, she waited until _now_ to get her some of that fine chunk of meat!_

Unfortunately, all Ino could see was the first inch or two of Naruto's front, and the last inch or two of Sakura's rear and legs. _Not much of a show, even if it does show the 'good part'._

So, screwing up her courage, and hoping they wouldn't hate her for interrupting, Ino slid the door open. "Don't mind me," she said when they froze, "Carry on."

The other blonde called the name of the girl currently speared on his member. She only told him to get back to work, which made Ino smile. _She does care!_

As casually as she could force herself to act, Ino stepped further into the kitchen, not bothering to shut the door, and walked over to pull up a chair, which she leaned against a wall before sitting in.

_Yeah, this view's _much_ better._

And it was... she was tall enough to see Sakura's flat- well, flatter than hers- chest pressed into the table underneath the apron, could see them jerking up and down as her body moved in time with Naruto's thrusts in a strange, yet erotic, counter-cadence.

She could see Sakura's pink lips part as she began to pant for breath.

And Naruto's muscular chest and arms flexing as he pounded into the athletic kunoichi with increasing strength, and decreasing restraint.

Yamanka Ino, heiress of the Yamanaka Clan (as far as she knew), didn't know when she began to touch herself, but she knew when she realized it.

Naruto had drawn out almost completely from the other girl, and then thrust himself back in so hard Sakura yelped. The table jumped, and the medic's hands reached out to clutch the edges for stability.  
He repeated the move one more time, and Ino moaned as she watched Sakura being taken so forcefully by the blonde's other would-be lover.

That was when she realized one hand was dripping wet, through the soaking wraps she wore instead of underwear- they were both more sturdy and harder to remove if she was ever, heavens forbid, attacked- while the other was currently mauling one of her own breasts.  
She did not notice the line of drool snaking from her mouth...

But Naruto, now watching both Sakura's firm ass bouncing as his hips hit it, and Ino as she fingered herself in large circles over her bindings in equal measure, did notice that drool... and promised himself that he'd lick it up as soon as he could.

For her part, Ino's minor jealousy- why did it have to be Sakura first, not her? Would they still have time for her, now that they were lovers? Or was it too late? Had they decided they were fine just with themselves, and she would be cast aside?- fell by the wayside as she watched Naruto watching her.

There was, despite the fact that he was currently hammering Sakura's pussy, just as much want in his eyes for her as for the medic.

And Sakura's own green eyes, half-lidded and misty with lust and ecstasy, were also fixed on Ino's chest, which had visible nipples even through her chest bindings and shirt, now.

"S- Soon," Sakura moaned, "Gonna... gonna be soon, Naruto, Ino-chan," she forced out between pants and having the air forced from her lungs.

"Me too," the blonde kunoichi moaned.

Naruto only grunted, the speed of his thrusts increasing, and losing any semblance of rhythm as he became both more and less animalistic.

Ino, watching the others intently, was the first to reach orgasm, though Sakura followed moments later.

Naruto was the last, the fluttering of the medic's vagina around his much-used (lately) member enough to throw him over the edge.

But as he spilled inside her (again), the door to the cabin flew open, and a familiar, feminine voice cried out, "Naruto! Sakura! Ino! Where are- _oh Kami_!"

A deeper, male voice, familiar only to Naruto, said, "Tch, damn noisy woman... what are you- _oh shit_!"

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto, lost as he was in Sakura (and in watching Ino), didn't notice the interlopers at first. And why would he? His pseudo-cousin Temari was cute and all, but not really his type. And Nara Shikamaru? He was a guy... again, not Naruto's type.

So he was a bit wrapped up (in more ways than one) in his girls.

Mostly because Sakura's 'sheath' was still around his 'kunai', and her legs were entwined with his, and-  
You get the idea.

Sakura, having just experienced the best orgasm of her life, was a also a bit oblivious at first... until her pulse settled back to something more normal, like 135bpm.

Ino, having had a thoroughly enjoyable, yet not at all satisfying, orgasm was the first to really notice their new friend and Naruto's slightly older one.  
"Temari? Um... Nara-san? What are you two- wait! This isn't what it looks like!"

Shikamaru, his darkly-tanned skin flushing nearly as dark as his hair, spun around to face the door, his whole body radiating tension.

Temari? One of her eyebrows cocked upwards. She asked, in a very flat, even tone, "It's not? What _is_ it, then? Because it _looks_ like you were just frigging yourself while watching Naruto bone Sakura over the table."

Shikamaru shuddered.

Naruto and Sakura both flew apart, bright red, and began to throw their clothes on.

… Then the medic realized the only 'clothing' she had downstairs was the apron, and flew past Temari and Shikamaru, mortified further still, to flee up the stairs to her room and get dressed.

Naruto? Well... he was embarrassed, and was getting dressed rapidly, but he seemed to be much more... Exultant.

Like he was king of the universe.

And why shouldn't he? He was just eighteen, and had two bombshells wanting into his pants at the same time.

But Temari would be damned if her little 'cousin' would get away with that for long. "Get dressed, and get cleaned up," she ordered.

For a moment, both Ino and Naruto jumped to obey at her tone, before remembering that, Jonin or not, Temari was from Suna, and had no authority over them. But when both of the younger blondes turned to the older to question her right to tell them what to do (not that either really objected), the Suna kunoichi frowned, "Do it! It's orders from your Oyabun! We haven't got time to waste!"

Ino stepped into the downstairs bathroom, but Naruto stood there in silence while he cinched his trousers tightly. In a low voice, he asked, "What's going on?"

Temari replied, her own tone just as soft, "Suna. We aren't sure if they're coming to 'rescue' me, or are just using that as an excuse... or maybe it's 'retaliation' for Iwa, or even Ishi."

"It doesn't matter," Shikamaru's voice rang out. He was obviously still fighting his embarrassment, and Naruto, as oblivious as he could be, saw how greatly that amused the more worldly Temari. "The reason doesn't matter. What matters is that they're on their way, and a patrol went missing. They didn't report on time, and we've seen no sign of them now... while the scout teams Hatake-san sent out report the army is already through River and on it's way straight here. As my dad predicted... Ootori's stepped into it now. Your grace period is over... and Suna is only the beginning. They're going to move against you, crush you like they did eighteen years ago."

Naruto's reply to the strategist was simple, though somehow, the quiet voice made the bones in both Temari and Shikamaru vibrate with fear, "They're welcome to try."

The kunoichi spared an annoyed glance at the Nara for spilling too much information, but put a calming hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I know what you can do, Naruto... I saw Iwa, remember? I was there. But this is an entire _army_ of Suna troops. If they follow SOP's, there will be one ninja of Genin or Chunin rank for every three foot soldiers, and even those will be tougher than almost any soldier in Hi no Kuni. Even your ninja-trained Yakuza families couldn't match them, because of the training they get... better than anyone except Kumo. And that's debatable. As well, for every twenty other soldiers, their will be a Jonin. The army, last we heard, was twice the size of Ootori's _entire_ standing force... and Shikamaru's also right. The Sand will just be the first."

Naruto did not respond as he stepped past them to the stairway. He stopped in front of the bathroom door, "Sorry, Ino-chan... it's not my fault. Soon. I promise. I'll take about five minutes to get cleaned up."

The younger blonde kunoichi didn't reply verbally, though she pouted into the mirror, but Temari and Shikamaru shared a concerned glance.

Ten minutes later, the five ninja, two shinobi and three kunoichi, were high-tailing it toward Ootori, after Sakura and Naruto together had activated the security seals that _might_ keep the army from even noticing the cabin was there. If they did find it, though, there was nothing for it... it would be written off as a loss.

But they were only things... the memories from the place, and the people who lived there, were much more important, and every member of the five knew it.

* * *

**A/N2:**Not much to say... more coming, of course, unless I drop dead. Um... yeah, still finding OH to be a 'small' struggle to get out, but not anywhere near like it was. Whether the update next week is OH or TROLL is basically due to my work schedule, which is a bit wonky... but if I can sleep, I'll have plenty of time to write it regardless.

... Remember the good old days, in chapter 25 or so, where I had a three-chapter buffer? I do... barely. Lol

'Till next time, all you hip katz, funky daddy-o's, and other old-fangled things to call people of some sort of sense, popularity, and/or fashionability... or whatever.

... Also, remember 'funky' in this case doesn't necessarily mean you smell bad. Unless, you know, you _do_. In which case I'm just tellin' it like it is. ;)

No glossary this time, either.


	53. Chapter 53: Sandstorm

**A/N:** First, my utter, abject apologies for the wait... I've been bogged down with work (lots of it, working 2+ jobs, both of which require a fair bit of time), helping friends and neighbors move, and dealing with sick nieces and nephews in my little bit of writing time left. However, I did just post an update from my buffer on Sunday, and here's the (now finally complete) OH a couple days later.  
As usual, the chapter title has a couple meanings, and a cookie to anyone who can figure out all of them this time. Hint: Four. Yes, four meanings, all at once. A new record for me (4 was my top, but never 4 meanings for just one word).

Hm... thanks, as always, to Mouse, my quick-working Beta, thanks for the many reviews and favs since I posted last (for any story), and so on... and review this one more, too. People keep telling me my stories should be in those groups that have 1000+ reviews or at least a lot more, but yet those same people don't review to get me there... Hint hint. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chap. 53 Sandstorm**

The briefing was held a mere two and a half hours later, just enough time for Ino, Sakura, and Naruto to gather their extended-mission and combat gear, and rush to the center of Ootori. The staging area Shikamaru had directed them to was the only available space large enough to hold the throng of combat troops, and that only just.

_And Suna has twice this number? We're screwed!_

But he would never voice that thought, never even allow it to live for long. A lot of Suna's strength lay in their ability to adapt to various terrains and climates. Not just the desert, where they were the undisputed kings, but _any_ climate and terrain. Even the arctic climes held more in common with the desert than the wind-swept crags of Kumogakure, yet even there stories were told of the things a Suna ninja could do using just a terrain advantage.

While they may not be used to trees, there would be no 'home field advantage' in this fight. At least, not from the field itself.

Then again, most of what they were facing were also not chakra-using fighters, but only highly-trained soldiers, rank-and-file combatants. The ninja forces Suna had arrayed against them, while a significant amount, was itself outnumbered twenty to one by Ootori's numbers... if only because Suna did not dare leave their borders and cities undefended, while the 'upstart' Hidden Village had nowhere else to go, and so were _forced_ to commit all their forces to this battle.

It was a small battle just to force their way through the milling- though with purpose- crowds of men, women, children, some as young as eleven and as old as sixty or seventy, to the long line of registrations desks, where they were checked off long (but not long enough, Naruto knew, not for the long haul) lists of active combatants in Ootori's citizenry.

That process alone, the reporting for duty, being assigned their platoons, and being handed out small stocks- in line after endless, interminable line- of surettes for vaccinations, anti-toxins, and general healing promoters and anti-bacterials were foremost among those supplies, before being herded _en-masse_ to the center of the large field between the Hokage's offices and the recently-finished Academy.

Naruto, surrounded by twenty men and women, mostly girls and boys, really, he didn't even know, alternately watched Tsunade and Jiraiya speaking with the other members of the Council, and used his height advantage to peer over the crowd for Sakura or Ino.  
There were, he was glad to see, several glimpses of pink over to the right, where he knew the support corps were located. But even though Ino was taller, he couldn't make out her blonde, shining hair through the gathering clouds and dust raised by the army's feet on the still-grassless field.

And somehow, that worried him more than he could say.

"Alright, listen up," his mother figure's voice bellowed over the crowd once time, bringing an immediate shuffling of nervous feet as each and every person anywhere near the field brought their attention to her, their actions, no matter how important, coming to a halt.

"As many of you have heard, Suna's initial attack force crossed our border an hour ago, and they're still heading straight for us. Twenty minutes ago, a team of negotiators including Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi left to negotiate a non-combat agreement... and to remind them that the old fart Kazekage's own daughter is here, and fighting with us!"

Tsunade's hand swept out to the side of the podium, where Naruto was surprised to see a now heavily-blushing Temari lift a weak hand in acknowledgment of the sudden cheers.

"However, I know old Tanaka pretty well, and I don't think he'll go for it... and nor does his own daughter. As a result, we're going to be ready to meet this invading force on _our_ terms. The other Nations may think that Hi no Kuni is defenseless still, or that Ootorigakure is just a loose rabble of once-mighty Clans. But we aren't, are we?"

A resounding cheer of "No!" rang from the crowd, though Naruto himself was silent. _What's the point of a motivational speech, Baa-chan? We know what we're fighting for..._

"Besides," Tsunade continued, as if reading Naruto's thoughts, "this is _our_ home! This is _our_ land! These are _our_ fields, our friends, neighbors, husbands, wives, and children we're defending! It doesn't matter that they outnumber us! It doesn't matter that they've had more time to train together!"

The crowd suddenly, for some reason Naruto could not comprehend, murmured in increasing agitation, "It only matters that we are the Phoenix! We have risen from the ashes of death, and if by some miracle we are defeated, we will rise again! The Will of Fire lives on, and _we will not fail_!"

Another cry, louder and longer than any before, rose from the gathered might of Ootori. Tsunade let it go on for several minutes, smiling widely, though Naruto knew the hint of darkness he saw in her eyes was worry. She hated, absolutely _hated_ the very idea of war. She'd seen too much of it already. Truth be told, Naruto did too, but he was not about to let Ootori be destroyed... even if he had to do to this army what he'd done to Ishigakure.

_No... what the Fox did to Ishi. That wasn't me,_ he reminded himself, _It was the Fox... and he's never getting out again._

Somewhere, deep inside himself, there was a roar of defiance. It was, however, muted. Weak. Far-off, and, he knew, held chained by the very will he possessed.

In other words, the Nine-Tailed Fox was no longer just held by imagined (though powerful) seals of wood, root, and bramble... it was now also held by his mother's chakra chains, by iron, by earth itself, by the very power of his mind, and by the Will of Fire. It would _not_ get free again. Not while Uzumaki Naruto lived.

"All right," Tsunade called out once the cheers had begun to fade, "You know your assignments and positions... get to it! We expect them to make first contact sometime after noon tomorrow, so you'd best be on your way to set up your camps and fortifications. Ninja and warriors of Ootorigakure!"

Once again, she had the attention of every person on the field.

"Remember what you're fighting for... I won't say good luck, because luck is a fickle bitch. I know that better than anyone. But I _will_ say... For Ootori! For Hi no Kuni! For _Home_!"

Naruto's ears felt like they were bleeding when the cheering faded again.

"Alright, you guys," he said to his new platoon, "let's move out... grid 1-1-7, double-time. Move!"

(O)(O)(O)

Unfortunately, as Naruto found out, five members of his twenty (plus himself) man team were not ninja, and could not 'double-time' as a ninja could. In fact, the youngest was a boy no older than fourteen, and not a ninja at all. His only weapon was a small crossbow, what would be a hand crossbow on an adult, though he carried several dozen bolts for it and a determined expression.

The metal pot he wore on his head for a helmet kind of ruined the effect, though.

(O)(O)(O)

"Okay, team, everyone done?" Naruto spoke up once the entire group was settled around their camp's cook fire just after sunset, "It's time to get to know each other. I'll start, I guess, to show you what I mean."

Twenty faces looked up at him expectantly. Or at least, in an ideal world they would have. As things currently stood, however, only about half the faces were ready to listen. Of the remaining ten, they were perhaps divided between fearful, anxious even, or excited. In other words, having no idea how deadly war could really be. And unfortunately, Naruto knew, he was not the proper person to make them prepared. Especially not the fourteen year-old boy with the pot on his head, whose hands were shaking so badly his supposedly-calming tea was shaking all over the ground... and they did not expect combat until the next day.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto. I was raised by two of the Sannin, and if I can say so, I'm damned good at what I do... which is beat people up. I've been told I have a bit of a martyr complex, but hey, when you can get stabbed in the heart and be fine ten minutes later..." Naruto shrugged, while the others, even the ninja, looked at him either disbelievingly or very impressed. "Anyway, that's not the point. I like Ramen, and my plan is to be the Nidaime Hokage, after my mom retires. So... I don't plan on letting anyone die. But this is still a war, and I can't guarantee anything. So watch your backs out there, just like I'll be watching them, too. I, uh... don't hate anything in particular except people telling other people how to live or think, or trying to force their beliefs on others in any way. Oh, and I love Sakura-chan, and Ino-chan, and Baa-chan, and Ero-sennin, and I guess I like Sasuke-teme and Shika-randa and Temari-chan. But mostly Ramen! All right, Spiky-kun, you're up next."

The rude, short-tempered, but (he'd heard) talented Genin who was apparently the grandson of Konoha's Sandaime Hokage (and who had protested most vociferously when he'd heard that he would be on the noisy blonde's team, and under his command), glared up at his immediate commander, but stood as Naruto sat on a quickly-summoned and -transformed shadow clone, leaving him with the only comfortable chair in the group... even if he had memories of sitting on himself for a couple hours, it was still worth it.

"My name's Sarutobi Konohamaru, and I'm the best ninja on this team!" the brunette, mask-wearing shinobi declared firmly, "I don't like Zankako-mesuinu, and Tenna-sama's a bitch, too," the white-haired young kunoichi next to him bristled at the first insult, and put a hand on her kodachi at the second to her aunt, but only huffed as the boy plowed on, "And _I'm_ gonna be the Nidaime Hokage- and I'm gonna change Ootori back to Konoha, like Grandpa wanted, and like it belongs!"

Zankako waited until Konohamaru plopped back to the ground so that she could dig several long fingernails into his shoulder, rather painfully judging by the boy's wince, as she stood. "My name's Zankako-sama. You can call me Zan-sama to save time. Calling me _anything_ else will be... unpleasant for you. And since apparently our commanding officer and this fool don't seem to know how this works, I'm a water- and earth-specialist as far as Ninjutsu, adept at Genjutsu, and can hold my own against a Jonin... although not Asuma-sensei in Tai- and Kenjutsu."

Naruto chuckled, "Oh, yeah, sorry... I'm a Wind-user, but I only have a few high-powered jutsu in that element since I wasn't able to train much in it while I was growing up. I'm good in Taijutsu, though Ero-Sennin can still flatten me, even with Shadow Clones, and I totally suck with Genjutsu. I can break out of anything I detect, though. No matter how strong it is. Oh, and I can summon about fifteen hundred Shadow Clones, though it makes me a bit tired for an hour or two."

The more knowledgeable ninja in the group, including those who had already introduced themselves, paled slightly.

"I, uh..." Konohamaru sputtered slightly, though Naruto noted with a smug grin he didn't retract his assertion of being 'the strongest ninja here', "I use Fire and Earth, like Tenna-sensei, and I know a bit of good Wind jutsu like Asuma-aniki. But I'm awesome at traps, and I know some super-powerful jutsu in Fire and Earth! And even a couple combo jutsu!"

A thin, petite girl stood up next to Zankako shyly, "I'm, um... not a ninja. I'm Shimi Karakui, and I, um... I am a good hunter. I make traps and hunt bigger game with my bow to feed my family... sorry I'm not more useful."

Naruto snorted as she sat, making her head fall further, but stared deeply at her, "Never sell yourself short, Karakui-san! We have to have someone who can read tracks on every team, it's an essential skill. If you can shoot, you can take down soldiers before they can kill us, right? And don't forget, laying traps is vital, too. You and Spiky-kun will be able to slow down and make the enemy suffer even if we have to retreat, right?"

The girl obviously felt a bit better after Naruto's words, though she was still filled with obvious fear and nervousness.

As the group continued to introduce themselves, Naruto's own worry grew, though he tried hard not to let it show. Not for himself; he'd been in a situation worse than this in Iwa, and had come out exhausted but unhurt. It was his team he was worried for...

"All right," he said about an hour after their dinner was finished, "Time for bed. Don't worry about a watch tonight, but after this we'll have to leave three people awake at all times to maintain combat readiness. Keep your gear close and ready to pack at a moment's notice, too... we expect their advance guard by noon. I'm gonna use the hundred or so Shadow Clones I have in the woods to keep watch tonight, but I'll need the energy tomorrow, so I can't do it after this. Anyway... turn in, try to get as much sleep as you can. I know you're nervous... but I'm gonna do everything you can to get you guys home alive. Promise."

(O)(O)(O)

"Good morning, everyone," Sakura explained to her reserve unit at their six in the morning briefing, "We're Team R3, and the primary non-critical medic team. Teams R1 and R2 are being lead by Lady Tsunade and Lady Shizune, respectively, and are the primary trauma teams. Everything that isn't life-threatening is coming our way first. If we get overwhelmed, they will go to R4 and R5 as needed for care. Expect to see a lot of broken bones, some cauterized limbs that will require operation, and lots of embedded shrapnel or weaponry that isn't going to kill the patient immediately- lower gut wounds will be the worst we see. Everyone with me so far?"

The rose-haired medic-nin was pleased to see that while her team of fifteen counting herself was nervous, most were too happy to be away from the frontline fighting to be _too_ worried. There were only four other ninja on her team total, with five surgeons, and four more were at least dentists, though three of those five were practicing nurses or surgery techs. The people who handed the operating surgeon the equipment they asked for, anesthesia, and so on. It was a good team, Sakura knew, and one Shizune had worked with her to put together out of the available personnel, just like they had with the other teams. The only wild card she had to deal with was Hyūga Hinata. The girl was mild-tempered, she knew, but had also been pulled from the first night of her honeymoon to a wartime hospital set-up that she likely had no experience in.

Being a member of her Clan, and an heiress besides, she had at least minimal chakra training. Sakura had personally seen her use her family's combat style to disable Sasuke, who was as skilled in Taijutsu as Naruto himself... perhaps even better. But did that mean she could keep her composure? A hospital was not the front lines, but it had a high level of stress all it's own. Could she handle holding lives in her hands? Especially with what she was on the team for...

"Hy- Wait, my apologies," Sakura corrected, "_Uchiha_ Hinata, you will be our primary Triage specialist. Incoming wounded will see you first. You are to use your family's dojutsu to analyze any injuries, and report, with the wounded, to the next available surgery team for operation and healing. Report the exact injuries with as much accuracy and detail as you can, then move on."

Hinata nodded resolutely.

Sakura gave her a small smile, "Finally, if me or one of the other surgeons asks, you are to assist in operations. The Byakugan is invaluable for a medic to have, since it can give us lots of information we can't tell even when operating. Are you up to that, too?"

Again firmly, Hinata nodded, "Yes, Sakura-san. I... am prepared. I may require rest at some point during the day or night, because I have not fully developed my chakra pathways, but have been able to sustain prolonged use of my eyes for up to four hours. It may be sufficient in smaller bursts."

"Good to know, thanks, Hinata-san. All right, Shizuka, Ayame, Tenchi, Kofuku, you'll be on tables two and three, and you can figure out who the surgeons are... a hint: They're wearing their kits already. Sukami, you're with me, by the way. Tetsu and Kenta on table four, and Ruri and Gina-san will float, assisting as needed. If we get really backed up, there's another table, but it doesn't have full equipment. It only has oxygen, blood, and IV units... though there's plenty of actual operation tools. I hope. All right... I think that's everything. Get something in your stomachs while you can... it's almost six-thirty, and even if we don't expect contact until noon, we might need all the energy we can get."

(O)(O)(O)

"I hate this," Tsunade said quietly, even earlier in the morning. She was naked, the stench of old sweat and sex surrounded her and her lover, while she nestled in his muscular arms.

Jiraiya grunted his agreement, but also muttered, "Not much choice... we knew what we were getting into when we decided to reveal the prophecy in the first place. Better now while we're here to guide 'em and keep them safe."

"Yeah... still hate it, though."

There was another sleepy grunt.

"I've gotta go, Jiraiya... I'm meeting my team in thirty minutes, and I need to eat."

"Mm..." he groaned, then reached with sure fingers between her legs.

She tried to resist, she really did. "Come on, you old goat! _Again_?! That's five times in a night!"

In response, one dark eye quirked open, "You think that's all I've got? Just one more for the road, just in case. I waited almost fifty years, I'm gonna make up for it while I can. _You_ might have gotten younger, but I'm still almost an old man!"

Suffice it to say, it was a panting, sweaty (again) and still-smelly Tsunade that lurched, bleary-eyed, into the room of the hospital she had set aside for her team's meeting... fifteen minutes (and another session with Jiraiya) later.

(O)(O)(O)

Ino frowned at one of her teammates, and out-right scowled at the other. "How come_ you're _in charge?" she asked the dark-skinned, darker-haired Chunin who had been put in command of their two-cell rescue team, while still glaring at the chubby, red-haired boy he'd quickly befriended.

The Yamanaka had to admit to herself that she might have liked the boy too, he was sarcastic and lazy, but also quick-witted and had a surprisingly deep sense of humor about him, had he not interrupted her sexy-time with Naruto before it had even begun. Why did life have to be so _unfair_? Sakura had known him longer, she'd gotten her sexy-time (Nine times! _Nine_! The gloating had been horrendous!), so how come Ino couldn't get _hers_? It just wasn't fair!

"Because of certain circumstances," Shikamaru said calmly, "beyond any of our control. Believe me, the last thing I want is to be responsible for your lives... but I am, so you'd better listen turns out our dads were a team way back in the day, yours mine and Choji's, here. Ino-Shika-Cho. Now, they expect us to work together again in this generation, I guess."

"But I already have a team!"

Shikamaru nodded, not bothering to look up at her, "I know, noisy woman! I know! It's just for the battle, not forever, geez! Calm down and quit yelling in my ear! We're supposed to be _covert_, you know?"

Ino sniffed angrily and turned her head away in a huff without deining to respond.

"Anyway," he said, "the Hokage felt that you deserved to be on this mission, because of those circumstances, but also felt that you shouldn't be in the lead for the same reason. I, however, am apparently a skilled tactician and strategist, even if it's entirely too troublesome, so I was put in charge. And I kind of promised mine and Choji's dad that I'd take the lead in rescuing the primary captive... _your_ dad, Yamanaka Inoichi."

For the span of several seconds, Ino was certain her heart had stopped beating.

Her father couldn't have been captured, he was too good. Too strong. Too _good_. He'd mastered to the highest level every technique their family had! Every single one, including some that the Clan-at-large believed precluded one from learning the other of a pair if one was learned! How could he...?

No... it couldn't be true. There had to be a mistake. Naruto-kun had sexed her into unconsciousness, and this was all a terrible dream. That's it...

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru said with surprising sincerity, "but he _is_ our first priority, and I promised. We're getting him out... and you're the key to that."

"I... I... huh?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, the genius explained, "Suna would recognize your father. He was famous in the last War, and did a lot to defend Konoha after the Fox attacked, even after most of the rest had already fled. Iwa and Kumo have a kill-on-sight order on him... but Suna has a capture order. They want him, _need_ him alive. But they also know the Yamanaka and his abilities, so they'll have him under chakra-binders. We need you to contact him, using your own jutsu, to find out where he is in their camp, or if they've moved him already, where in Kawa or Kaze no Kuni he is, so we can intercept the group moving him. Our job is to get in, get your dad, and get out- not to get in a fight. Does _everyone_ understand that?"

The other four members of the group, the chubby red-head, the tall brunette with chocolate eyes and several sealing scrolls on her belt, Tenten, the tall, longer-haired brunette who was the oldest son of the Hyūga Clan Head's twin brother, Neji, an Uchiha woman she didn't recognize a few years older than they but still a Chunin, a lanky, but muscular boy with a large, white-haired dog with hair slightly less shaggy than the boy's own, and a small, mousy-haired girl with thick glasses that warped her light blue eyes until they were almost unrecognizable.

"And who're you?" she asked that girl.

"I-I'm, uh... sorry, I'm not used to talking to people... I'm Shiho. I'm a cryptologist..."

One of Ino's eyes widened, and she sent a look to Shikamaru, who shrugged.

"If we're going into their camp anyway, why not take a look at anything we find? She's here so we can use it... she has an eidetic memory, so she has to go with us. She's a Genin... probably the weakest on the team, but highly essential. Just so the rest of you know, Yamanaka-san- the older one, our objective- and Shiho-san are mission-critical. The rest of us are to be sacrificed first, including the younger Yamanaka. Is that clear? Anyone who is unable to do that can report to the brig now so we can find your replacement."

For a brief second, Shikamaru was worried Ino would be doing just that, that for some reason she was unwilling to die for her father, when she stood.

Instead, and to his pleasant surprise, she turned to glare at the others seated behind her in the actual briefing room, "If you're in the room in ten seconds, you're staying. No backing out... there's no time to waste."

No one left, making both Shikamaru and Ino smile, both a little angry at the situation, and pleased that their hastily-assembled team seemed to be up for it. So far.

(O)(O)(O)

_I should have known_, Naruto groused to himself, _and the day was going so well!_

It had been. Breakfast had been a leisurely affair, with only a stiff breeze to remind them that they were not on a pleasant camping trip amongst somewhat antagonistic strangers.

But by the time it was over, the wind was howling, even without a cloud in the sky.

Five minutes later, while they were trying to break camp in preparation for combat, the first tent had blown away, ripped to shreds by a tree three dozen yards back toward Ootori.

"Hunker down!" Naruto had ordered his team, "Leave the tents! Nothing essential in there!"

To their credit, despite the reluctance in some to have him as their leader, everyone obeyed at once. Some ducked down behind wide trees, others in shallow depressions. Konohamaru and Zankako worked well together, and sunk themselves into narrow trenches which they then widened as they walked, pushing chunks of earth to either side as if parting simple sand with their hands, to connect them to each other.

Naruto had thought the nearly-instant trenches were a great idea.

Then the screaming started from the south end of the battle-line.

Ten seconds later, he knew why.

Vision had suddenly dropped from a dust-filled thousand yards to maybe two feet... and that only if willing to get hard, gritty sand in his eyes.

"Shit, they're coming!" he cried, knowing it was too late for many of their army, "They must have gone through the night!"

"Konohamaru, Zankako! Deeper! Dig deeper, we have to get as deep as we can, down to bedrock, and make a little bunker! Now, now, now!"

Brows furrowed in concentration, the two Earth users complied, and ten minutes of painfully load roaring, the screams of now-blind warriors, and all other sounds except their own breathing cut off with a quiet _whump_ as the ground moved over their heads, leaving them in darkness.

* * *

**A/N2:** Not much to say, but there is a glossary. I'm going to 'try' to again have OH chapter this Sunday, but if that fails, I'm going to have to go back to a bi-weekly update schedule. If I'm not working too much, I have so much free time I almost can't _help_ but update weekly (because I spend more time writing than all my other leisure activities combined), but the way things have been going... Anway, again _review_, folks... keep me motivated regardless of work to do that whole weekly-update thing. You know you want to. ;)

* * *

**Glossary:**

**"Grid 1-1-7"**: That's a quote from a video game (amongst other places, I believe), and a second cookie- and an in-AN Shoutout or possibly in-story shoutout (as one of Naruto's squadmates) to anyone who can tell me what game it's from correctly. There's robots involved, and that's the only hint you get. Yes, that makes it hard- you'll get over it. On the other hand, it is an actual military (not a U.S. one, as far as I know) mapping style. It's not Cartesian, however... though it's similar if I'm using it right. From right to _left_ (Japanese, remember, they read top down and right to left naturally), it's alphanumeric, 0-G (as in, Hexadecimal) for the first section, then from 0-G down in the second, and the third is a "Z-Axis" vertical/elevation indicator, where 9 is 'neutral', and as the numbers go up (through to G), elevation rises. Notice that's not 'sea level', just from the start point of whoever is running the mapping/scouting units in the command center. Yes, that's needlessly complicated... but there's a lot of anachronism in Naruto already, so... I'm just trying to simulate that.

Examples: Star Arc, either episode 182 or 183, it shows an oil-wick candle and a _laptop_ on the very same bedside table. So... yeah. Not to mention cross-country power lines, air conditioning units... and no cars. But whatevs there, I just play in the sandbox. I'm not responsible for cleaning it. Lol

**Shiho:** Yes, that's 'canon' Shiho, with some assumed info. Yes, she's a cryptologist, yes she can (kind of) fight, but she's not going to be essential to the story- and won't even have a crush on Shikamaru in OH. Sorry, Shiho-shippers. I like her too, what little we know of her, but she's just not that important to the story, and OH is a monstrous beast as it is. Lol

* * *

**Tally:**

Just useful info for anyone that is interested:

As of this typing, One Hour (not counting any Glossary, which itself is turning into a good-sized file) is just onto page 998 in 12-pt Courier New (the default standard for measuring how a document would be in paperback). That's a thousand-page book... and I still have more than a dozen chapters to go by my count.

Also, word count: 239,108. It's not the longest story I've read (I actually just finished one that capped out at over a _million_ words, nearly 1.25 mil, and is still just getting _started_), but it's up there.

And I started it... 08/2009. Wow, it's been that long? 2.5 years! Still, getting closer to done... I'm guesstimating having around 75 total chapters if the length doesn't go up or down too much.


	54. Chapter 54: Obfuscation

**A/N:** Erk... my utter, sincere apologies? I know, no one wants to hear it, but I've still been working tons of hours (got $100 more the last paycheck than I've ever gotten previously from this job, so... that should indicate how much, since I get paid very little. Just over min. Wage...) That makes me not sleep, which makes me tired, which makes me not write much. Hard to write when you can't string a coherent sentence together verbally, or even in your head.

But, it's here now... and while it's not by any means 'all' of the Suna battle, it's most of it... though it's off-screen for the moment. Only a few key parts are covered here, and that's mostly lead-up, but there will be more in-depth and more of it next chapter. That should also wind up the Suna part of this whole fiasco... for now. They aren't totally done, but as a combative force they will be.

Anyway, I've rambled enough, distracted you (if any of you even read these) from the update long enough. Thanks to Mouse, sorry again it's (very) late, and enjoy!

* * *

**C****hap. 54 Obfuscation**

"How's everyone doing?" Naruto asked, voice tense as he struggled to get a flare lit in the complete darkness, "Anyone hurt? Sound off."

It took several seconds longer than it should have, and three of his team reported injuries, but at least everyone answered under their own power. _That's something._

"All right," he cheered quietly to himself as the flare sparked and lit, bathing the small, spherical chamber Zankako and Konohamaru had created in the earth for them. The two younger teens were slumped together in the central lowest point of the space, back to back and breathing heavily.

"You two did good... take a breather. Maybe eat and drink, if you can stomach it. Or wait a few minutes until you calm down."

The two normally antagonistic Genin shared, over their shoulders, a pleased look. Naruto wasn't sure if it was reacting to his praise, or realization that they had, in fact, saved several lives with their hard work. Not that it really mattered... they deserved to be happy about _something_.

_Was I ever such a pissy teenager at that age?_

(O)(O)(O)

Elsewhere, a certain white-haired Toad Sage experienced an unnerving flashback to Naruto's 'troubling teens', which, fortunately, did not distract him too badly from the battle he was fighting himself. "Stupid brat, bothering me even when I'm working..."

(O)(O)(O)

"Okay, most of my clones have been taken out by the storm, so we're probably going to be blind for a bit as to what's going on up there... at least we aren't fighting Iwa, so it's not likely they'll have the Earth-style specialists to keep a careful watch underground. That means we've got a few minutes to tend to injuries. Who's got medical training?"

Two hands went up, besides Naruto's, but one of them was the injured Karakui, the hunter-trapper girl. "I- I know basic first aid, but..."

Their leader looked her over, "But you have a sprained wrist... gotcha. We'll be alright, I think. Just one broken bone, and Shuki-san's a qualified med-nin, right?"

The young man in question nodded, "Yes... it shouldn't take more than an hour for me to knit it back together. Bring me your arm, Karakui-chan, and I'll do that first... it should only take a minute. I'm afraid more superficial injuries will have to wait."

Naruto nodded at the scowling, dark-haired young man who was holding a patch of his shirt to the bloody gash on his cheek, "Sorry, Minamoto-san... he's got to save his chakra for real needs. I can stitch that up, if you want... but I'm not an expert."

The vain young man's face paled further still, and he backed away shaking his head. "N- No! That's all right... better a scar then an _ugly_ scar!"

Several of the others in the spherical space snickered, including Naruto.

_Got to relieve their tension and fear somehow..._  
"So, I guess I have a plan... once Prince and Princess here recover," Konohamaru scowled at the new nickname, but at least it was a step up from 'Spiky', "We're still going to wait until the front line passes us by. Then we'll come up underneath or behind 'em. Those that can lay traps will for when we force a retreat, the rest will prepare to flank them from behind.

"So fire support and heavy combat guys, get ready... probably take an hour or so. The trap-makers should start getting things set up, as much as you can prepare ahead of time, so we can basically just slap the traps on and go. Sound like a plan?"

There was a rush of agreement and understanding, though the latter was mostly from the older members of the team, those who were aware enough to appreciate what Naruto was doing: Keeping them too busy to work themselves into an emotional frenzy.

"Okay, that's it, then. Oh, if Ootori starts to push them back- which doesn't seem likely with that storm being maintained- we'll still pop up and help. Otherwise, our main target is the group of ninja who're keeping that storm going. Clear?"

(O)(O)(O)

Orochimaru scowled. Things were not going according to plan... "Kimimaro," he hissed at his lieutenant, "why are they not ready, yet?"

The pale-faced and white-haired young man frowned to himself, as well, "I have not... been able to ascertain, Lord Orochimaru. I reminded the men that everything had to be perfect, that each and every name given was to be gathered, that the rituals had to be done flawlessly... but the numbers are only about half what was required."

Golden, slit-pupiled eyes slid from his protege and possible future vessel to the rank upon rank of bodies in the chamber below the walkway they were standing on, "What is the new projected completion time?"

Kimimaro shook his head, "My apologies, Lord Orochimaru... I am not certain. The last figure I heard was a week from today."

There was a quiet hiss, "I see... you have four days, Kimimaro. Use the rest of the Sound Five, and... _motivate_ them. Get it done... our window of opportunity is small enough as it is."

The white-haired young man nodded, scratching once more at the ever-present itch where his lord and master had given him his Seal... and then upgraded it beyond any others, and in so doing, gave Kimimaro the means to both save his life, and keep him useful to his master...

_Eternally_ useful.

After all... an illness that could kill a ninja of any strength... can't kill a man who's already dead.

(O)(O)(O)

Nara Shikaku frowned. The enemy force's tactics were basic, yet highly effective. The majority had simply swept in through the tail end of the storm their Genin and probably at least half the Chunin had maintained for a day or two, carrying it with them from the edges of the dunes to the southwest.

Unfortunately for the Ootori defending force, the Kaze no Kuni interlopers had aimed and timed the attack perfectly, allowing them to sweep into and over the center of the defensive line with minimal losses on their side.

To make matters worse, the more powerful Chunin and Jonin ninja, as well as two units of archers, had moved to the southeast of the defense during the storm, had come around to flank the second line, and were currently in the process of decimating the command structure for the southeast wing of their own forces. His own son, he knew through contact with his old friend's daughter, had gotten through behind the enemy lines, and was currently in the process of infiltrating the enemy's own command tents in a gamble to rescue Inoichi. On one hand, they were apparently the safest unit in the army, since the Suna forces apparently had yet to detect them. On the other, they were totally cut off, and if they _were_ detected, it would probably be the end of them.

But there was something else, something he was missing... and all his experience and tactical skill wasn't telling him what it was.

Their second and first lines were under attack already, and only the medical relief and support tents were left, but... Yes. That _had_ to be it... if the enemy's right wing had swung around to flank them, no doubt the left would be doing the same shortly later, after they committed to defending their left... leaving the medical tents defenseless.

"Sarutobi-san! Get word to Tenna's force immediately, they are to divert _northwest_, to quadrant 1-2-6, and intercept a possible force moving for our support units! Your unit will move to reinforce the southeast after they are on their way!"

The oldest living member of the Third Hokage's family nodded curtly, throwing his cigarette into the dirt as he left the command post, giving a single gesture to the squad of Jonin he commanded, some that he knew from childhood, before the destruction of Konoha, and some of which had been promoted while he was in hiding with the remaining family of the old Hi no Kuni Feudal Lord.

(O)(O)(O)

A man frowned. This, despite assurances that everything would go well, that the enemy was unprepared, unfortified, that their defensive lines were amateurish at best, was taking too long. He was a little on the short side, with thick, brown hair that fell in thick locks to his shoulders. Over his armor was a white robe with light blue accents, a wide, mostly-white conical hat sat on his head, the kanji for 'Wind' emblazoned on the front.

"East, report," he commanded softly.

A few seconds later, the comm unit in his ear crackled to life with a hint of static, and the feeling of wrongness intensified. The sound of battle was thick. The sound of killing, less so. Especially since this was a long-range combat unit, and they should not have _been_ in close combat to begin with. Surely, the enemy hadn't known they were coming?

He knew the plan was simple... rush under cover, divert with a flanking maneuver, and send a second division to flank on the opposite side a short while later, as soon as the first and second groups were engaged.

That did _not_ mean it should have been easy to counter. While Ootori's pathetic standing force might have twice the ninja his 'training force' had, the Kazekage's army was much larger overall, and his men were largely better trained.

Yet... "Damn that girl," he whispered as the Captain in charge of the long-range units finished his report, "Traitorous bitch... leave your father, your brother, and your whole nation behind to chase after a phantom from the past... We needed your help, Temari, to keep Sunagakure strong!"

And, while he was loathe to admit it, they really did. True, wind-specialist ninja in Suna were a zeni a dozen... but his oldest child and daughter was _good_. Truth be told, in the last couple of years she'd passed _him_ up in long-range attacks, and the only reason he hadn't suggested she try for Kazekage was because she still had weaknesses up close... weaknesses his Gold Dust jutsu could exploit to the fullest. Kankuro... he was just as skilled in their nation's other main style, the Puppet Master techniques, but lacked certain... qualities. Qualities necessary for being a good Kage.  
Motivation, for instance, to do something besides tinker with his weapons and nudey mags.

Tanaka sighed. This might be more trouble than it was worth... but they had to try to seize the opportunity. The other, larger Hidden Villages would certainly attack soon, and Suna could not stand up to Iwa or Kumo right then. Oto, yes, and _maybe_ Kiri, but... they had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak. A thumb on the control set created more static. "Squads nine and up... double-time. The long-range squad is heavily engaged. Your time-line is now critical. Engage support units ASAP."

"Aff," was the half-word reply. Tanaka nodded... at least _some_ of his commanders were still both loyal and capable. Kankuro and Baki would make short work of the relief units, and that would make the overall battle for the upstart Village much, much harder for the defenders.

"Now," the Kazekage said, voice dripping with barely-controlled frustration, "let's see what our spy has to say..."

(O)(O)(O)

If they had but known it, the Jonin kunoichi the Kazekage had been griping about was a safe harbor in the storm of sand the Suna ninjas had brought in to mask their forces and provide an additional layer of assault against Ootori.

True, she was panting and sweating with exertion, but to the four or five dozen Genin, Chunin, and Jonin around her, the Kazekage's daughter was swiftly proving her true loyalties. They had been attacked my no less than sixty trained combatants, mostly heavy troops of the type Suna didn't usually favor for 'expeditionary forces', but nonetheless well-trained, well-equipped, and capable of taking down ninja _en masse_. That is, if they had not been going up against ninja of their skills.

Because while Temari was reluctant to attack her own countrymen, which showed in her purely-defensive moves until now, she did not hesitate to defend herself or others, either. She had hoped to convince the enemy leaders to release their captives, if any, and return home... convince them she was here of her own will, not a prisoner or under duress.

But the sandstorm had struck quickly, twenty minutes before the first wave of men had, so there had been no chance for parley.

As a result, she had spent a good deal of her chakra reserves just keeping the storm at bay. It swirled around a quarter-mile stretch of the rocky terrain, broken only by scraggly trees and a few bushes, that sat on the border of the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rivers. Swirled around them in a tornado, a cylindrical, spinning wall of sand more than a mile high. But inside that thin tube, the only wind moving was that caused by jutsu or the movements of bodies inside it as the people fought.

And the Ootori defenders were doing pretty well, all things considered. There had been a few injuries among the fresher Genin, but because they could see, they could fight back... and as far as Temari could tell from her vantage point atop a rocky spire, no one on the Phoenix's side had died. The loss of life on Suna's side was depressing, but they _were_ the aggressors, here.  
Their blood was on her father's hands, not Ootori's.

"Okay, time to mix it up a bit," she sighed, debating taking one of Sakura's special Soldier Pills before using the technique. She'd been assured the after-affects and side-effects would be minimal, yet that it would provide more than half the boost normal pills did.  
It was a risk... after all, right now, Temari didn't _need_ the chakra. But there was a good chance she would later, and even the best pills took a few minutes to really kick in.  
But if it didn't work...

"Screw it," she muttered, tossed the large, brown-black ball into her mouth, and chewed.  
Then her face scrunched up in distaste, even as she could feel the liquid center start to ooze down her throat, and chakra begin to flood her system.

Ten seconds later, she'd forced most of it down... only to vomit it back up. There was, indeed, a large chakra boost... but damn, those things were _nasty_! "Tch, fine," she grumbled, taking a swig from her canteen and checking the battlefield once more to see where she could do the most good.  
The storm would be at bay for at least another minute, at the rate her chakra was being drained, so she could afford to turn some to offense now before having to redo the cyclone jutsu.  
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Kamatari!"  
A moment later, with a shrill cry of, "Itachiiii!", a black-and-white blur streaked from the small cloud of smoke, accelerating to speeds almost impossible to see within moments. Two minutes later, when Temari had finished the jutsu ritual which would keep the defensive cyclone going for another ten minutes yet again, there were no more Suna attackers in fighting shape... and her summons appeared to have obeyed her command for non-lethal attacks, because it was smirking confidently when it appeared before her again.

"Good job, Kamatari," she wheezed, "you can go back home... I'll probably need you again later, though."

The weasel gave a quick salute and a bow, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

All around the circle of clear land, the Ootori forces were binding or capturing the wounded, treating those with more lethal wounds, even on the Suna side. This would help their position immensely... if the Kazekage ever heard of it.

Too bad he was probably safely at home, avoiding any possible hint of impropriety...

(O)(O)(O)

A long, long way to the northwest, an old man fumed. "How dare they... leave my city in a mess... leave it infested with vermin... kill hundreds, _hundreds_ of my shinobi with just a small force... I'll make them _pay_. They're all going to pay!"

With a mighty roar, the man sent a fist flying into the stone pillar that marked the mass grave for those which had died in Yugito, Naruto, Temari, Ino, and Sakura's combined attacks on his Village. The Tsuchikage, white robes grayed by the dust from the falling pillar, strode from the cemetery, issuing orders in a gruff voice as he did so, "Get that thing fixed! And get the Council ready! We're going to war!"

There was a subdued cheer... many in Iwa, who had watched the ceremony just as he had, wanted vengeance for the deaths of their countrymen, family, sons, daughters, husbands, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

And he would give it to them... one way, or the other.

(O)(O)(O)

An equal distance from Ootori, but north-northeast, a much larger man frowned in disappointment. "They aren't ready? Still... not ready? It's been two weeks!"

The also-large, but not nearly as-large, white-haired, dark-skinned man nodded, "My apologies, Lord Raikage, but there were... incidents, in the supply distribution. It seems we had been infiltrated, and someone was able to sneak large numbers of white-clay explosives into them... which were remotely detonated, all at once. I'm not sure how it was done, but I have my suspicions."

"White clay, you say?" Ei asked, voice dropping another octave into the _truly_ threatening range.

Darui nodded, "Yes, sir."

With a sigh, Ei leaned back in his chair, and the other man breathed a sigh of relief, "We can't do anything to Iwa just yet... Jiraiya and Naruto-kun both told me they suspected a rogue member of _that_ Clan had joined up with the Akatsuki. It might have been him... I don't see Iwa daring to make such an attack against us in their current disorganized, or weakened, state."

Darui nodded again, but said nothing.

"Still... send a message to the Tsuchikage, whoever he is. Still haven't confirmed if Oonoki lived or not?"

This time, the other man shook his head, "No, sir. Not much word has been coming from our contacts in Iwa. It's possible they were injured or killed in the attack by the children, but more likely they're just laying low for the time being."

Ei didn't bother responding, he'd already surmised as much. "Tell him or her that I want answers... and if they aren't to my satisfaction, I will send my men to defend our new allies, Ootori, and that I will attend to the Iwa matter, if there is one, _personally_."

"Yes, sir!" Darui said, with a powerful salute, "Shall I tell Bee to be ready to defend the city?"

After a moment's thought, Ei nodded, then rose from his desk to stare out the window, "He is _not_ to leave the city limits under any circumstances while I'm gone. I don't care how much he doesn't like it. His place, while I'm gone, is here. Yugito's alive, from Ootori's reports, but has elected to stay there to help them defend against Suna. But that means Bee's the only one left, so he doesn't have a choice."

A part of Darui wanted to tell his leader that they, the elite Jonin of Kumo, would be more than enough to defend their home... but he also didn't want to be punched by the Raikage, who was the only living ninja the legendary Fourth Hokage had actually respected in battle.

With another salute, the Jonin Commander was gone, leaving the Raikage to stare out over his village, mind racing.

Would it be enough? Had their preparations, years in the making in some instances, be enough? Or would they fall like a house of cards, after the other nations turned on them as they had on Hi no Kuni?  
But what choice did they have? Things couldn't remain as they were... Oto was too treacherous, but gaining too much power too fast. In one short decade, they had gone from the weakest of the 'Five Great Villages' to the fourth of five. Two years later, they had gone to the third. Now, arguably, six years after that, they were number two... although neither Kiri nor Iwa would admit it.

But Kiri had been embroiled in a civil war, a very _bloody_ civil war, for decades. Iwa had just had a major ally in Ishi decimated by a single ninja, and then lost, if the initial reports were true, nearly an eighth of their force in an attack by a few more ninja plus the Ishi killer.  
A ninja, Ei was pleased to note, who had been a staunch ally of Kumo ever since the snot-nosed brat had been placed on Ei's knee during yuletide of his ninth year, and been told by his adoptive father to tell 'the old man' what he wanted for presents.

And, against his better judgment, Ei had done his best to deliver, too. That kid...

Sure, he had wiped out an entire, if small, Hidden Village alone. Sure, he'd fought back against some of the giants of the contemporary ninja world and won. But...

The fate of _everything_ rested on him.

How did Ei know this?

Simple, really... Namikaze Minato hadn't just respected Ei as an opponent... they had a small friendship. If Ei had friends at all, Minato would be one were he alive. True, it was a friendship based on antagonism, on rivalry, but...  
When your rival stoops to ask for your help, to ask you to keep an eye on their son once they're gone... what do you do?

"Damn it," Ei grumbled to himself, "You help the kid... no matter what it costs."

All indecision gone, he turned back to the desk, and summoned Samui and her team. He would, after all, need 'escorts'... if they could keep up.

(O)(O)(O)

"All right, Shikamaru," Ino groused, "When are we moving out?"

An eye cocked open, "In a few minutes. We're safe, for now... you sure you don't want to find your dad?"

With a frustrated sigh, Ino explained, again, "I _can't_ from in here! I'm not that good at the jutsu, and going through the walls of... whatever this is, isn't working."

The Uchiha woman, Henna, answered the unspoken question quietly, "It's stone, Yamanaka-san. A special kind of stone that blocks Chakra. Sensor-types won't be able to tell where we are, so only a unit specifically stumbling across us in the storm would be able to pinpoint us. The only downside is that we won't know if they are out there, either. We should be ready for a fight."

The others nodded grimly. The red-head, slightly chubby young man started stuffing his face faster with one hand, while the other worked to loosen the straps on his customized armor.

The black-haired, lanky one with the big, white-furred dog smirked, "Gonna do us some _damage_, right, boy?"

Lazily, Shikamaru's hand whipped out to slap the other boy on the back of the head, all without opening his eyes or taking his head away from the wall of the artificial structure, "This is a _covert_ mission, Inuzuka-san. If you and Choji are going to 'do some damage', please do it _after_ we've rescued Yamanaka-san."

The others chuckled, but Ino only scowled at the dog-ninja. If he ruined their insertion... _ewww_! She hadn't meant it like _that_! Eww, eww, eww! Dog-breath, and dog- _Ewwww_!

* * *

**A/N2:** Not much to say... next chapter will be as soon as I can get it written and edited. That might be a few days (I have tomorrow off, too! Yay!), it might be a month. Can't say, unfortunately, because it looks like my hours are sticking where they are for a while. More money for me (I could use it), but less time to write (which sucks).  
I'll have to deal either way, though.  
Until next time, kiddies, don't forget to read and review!


	55. Chapter 55: Tornado

**A/N:** Cor... four months. /cry  
Sorry, it _is_ my fault, but not _solely_ my fault. Some of it rests with my computer (having deleted half of the WHOLE STORY a while ago, including the new chapter which was 80% done at the time), some with work (still and always, apparently, having just gotten a promotion I certainly didn't ask for and don't really want...), and so on.  
In fact, this chapter alone I had to finish writing _twice_ today, because my computer locked up and the autosave didn't have all of it saved. But, at least it's here now.

A bit short, considering 55 _should_ have been the end of the Suna fight and 15 pages long, but I'm tired of waiting for an update, as I'm sure you are, too.  
So here's what I've got so far- the next chapter (no matter how long or short it takes) will probably be the final Suna fight one.

Thanks as always to Mouse (though he hasn't checked this yet), and all you awesome readers. More thanks and internets to the reviewers, though. ;)

Enjoy!

**Chap. 55 Tornado**

"You _are_alive... I'm surprised. Pleased, but surprised."

Sarutobi Asuma paused in his advance, clearly put-out that he hadn't detected the man who now stood on a rocky outcropping a dozen or so meters ahead of him. Not least of which because he had the clear advantage of height, another three meters, but also because he seemed to recognize Asuma personally. "Well, I'm happy to serve... and surprise, I guess. Do I know you?"

The tall man on the rocks watched, arms folded over his chest and one hand on the hilt of his katana, while the likely Chunin- and Jonin-ranked ninja under Asuma's command fanned out behind him. "I'm almost... hurt, Sarutobi-san. Think back to your Chunin exams... the man whose eye you almost removed."

Asuma grinned at the memory. Not because he was blood-thirsty. Far from it, in fact. It was just... "Baki? You're still alive, ya bastard?"

The Jonin from Suna snorted, "Bastard? You're the one who stole _my_girl back then, asshole."

Despite the calm tones, no one, on either side of the brewing conflict, failed to notice the anger that had quickly taken hold in the Suna commander's countenance. Asuma, however, only sneered, "Your girl? She was a Konoha citizen! It's not my fault you couldn't pick a girl from the Land of Wind, stupid. Besides... Kurenai's dead now. Her sister's in Ootori somewhere, I hear, but I've never met her."

"Really?" Baki asked, his one eye narrowing, "Get fed up and off her? Decide if you couldn't have her, no one would?"

Asuma smiled and shook his head, "Nope, nope, and nope. I did find out she wasn't 'the one'... but that was six years after her death. She survived the Fox's massacre, but died saving her sister and younger brother from a ninja raid a few years later, from what I heard. She was in the Hi no Kuni capitol at the time... and the ninja were Suna, according to the report I got."

One of Baki's eyebrows, the visible one, raised. "Is that so? Well... I can assure you that I'll be looking into that... and if I find out who killed her, I might be kind enough to return the favor for both of us. I'm sorry you won't be there to see it, however... I know you cared for her a great deal, even if you were a whiny bitch about it back then."

If Asuma was bothered by that statement, the Ootori forces, which while watchful of the single Sand ninja before them were also keeping an eye on their own leader, didn't catch it. Instead, the newly-returned Heir of Sarutobi laughed, long and hard, "Good luck with that... I killed them a dozen years back now. At least, I think it was them. They were still operating a little pseudo-fiefdom in Hi. They carved out a little niche for themselves, making trouble for the people... I couldn't let that stand, you see. Anyway... I remember you being a wind-specialist, right? Well... if you recall, I'm not so bad myself at that. And I've had a lot of hard years working on my technique, defending those precious to me."

Baki's own smile grew, though it seemed decidedly cruel as he did so, "Interesting... you aren't as soft as I'd feared. This might even be a challenge. Today, Sarutobi Asuma, I repay you for the insult in the Chunin Exams..." he lifted the white cowl over the right side of his face, revealing a horribly red, perfectly straight, but still wide and painful-looking, scar that stretched from his hairline down to his chin, right through his eye. Strangely, there seemed to be no damage to the orb itself, just the skin around it, but it was a terrible mark all the same.

"Still bitter about that? Get over it, Baki... you lost. It's not the first time. You're good, damned good, and probably better than I remember, but there's always a bigger fish."

As he spoke, Asuma's hands fell casually onto the trench knives in his belt, and Baki's arms, in response, unfolded, his right hand closing around the hilt of his katana and withdrawing it.

"It seems the time for small-talk is over, Sarutobi-san. Let's end what we started years ago, shall we?"

Asuma nodded once, never taking his eyes off his enemy, but spent just enough time before leaping forward to give a single order, "Stay out of this. It's between me and him... and he's beyond most any of you. Take his backup out, though."

Several of the ninja, mostly Chunin, behind him seemed surprised at the mention of backup, but the most battle-experienced members knew that Baki had been standing where he was precisely to hide the Suna ninja on the ridge behind him, and were already in the process of launching weaponry in that direction to hopefully spear anyone who stuck their heads up over the ridge.

(O)(O)(O)

"Sakura-san!"

"Not now, Hinata, I'm almost done with this man, but he's-"

"Sakura-san!"

"_Not now_, Hinata!"

"We're under attack, Sakura-san!"

"I said- wait, _what_?!" Silence fell over the medical tent as Sakura fought to process the information she'd just been given by her triage 'specialist'. "What did you say?" she repeated.

Hinata, breathless, pointed through the wall, the veins on her temples throbbing with the rush of excess chakra and blood, "There's a force of sixty-three Suna ninja and soldiers coming this way. They've out-flanked Sarutobi-sama's unit, and they've already started attacking the logistics units!"

The next ten minutes were a blur of chaos for Sakura, as she finalized the order to withdraw and get the wounded out by any means necessary. Hinata had been a bit more of a stretch, the young woman had decided she would stand with the medic despite not having any real training in combat besides self-defense.

In the end, however, Sakura had one (dishonest) trump card: "Uchiha Hinata, if you don't leave, and you get yourself _and_your baby killed, I'll resurrect you just so Sasuke can kill you again!"

Okay, so it was dirty, underhanded, and completely untrue. No matter how good she was, even Tsunade wouldn't have been able to detect a pregnancy on the _first night_since conception.

Maybe in a few days.

But, the girl had finally fled after sending Sakura one last, mournful look.

She, though, was not so worried. The non-combatants were cleared out by the time the relief pickets were broken, and the half-empty clearing where they'd been treating the wounded was only filled now with damaged supplies and the pile of dead or rapidly dying that Hinata had declared unsavable.

"All right, you bastards," she growled to the first Suna ninja, accompanied by several armored naginata-carrying warriors, "invade our homes? Attack a support camp? You don't know who you're messing with, 'Great Village' or not!"

The ninja only scowled slightly, "Haruno Sakura, Medic-trained kunoichi, student of Senju Tsunade... who first invaded _our_home, and aided in the destruction of an ally of Sunagakure, and was party to the assault on Iwagakure some days later. I think we know who you are."

Sakura couldn't hold back the rise of both eyebrows. It wasn't that she wasn't unrecognizable; how common was pink hair, anyway? But who was this man, not even wearing the high-quality armor that Suna gave their Jonin, to know who she was? "Hn," she copied her sometimes-teammate's mannerism for a moment- it seemed rather apropos- before giving her best rendition of his confident sneer as well, "So you know who I am... I hate to burst your bubble, but if you think I'm just a medic-ninja, you've got anything thing coming."

She was less pleased about the four other squads, at least six of which were ninja, stepping out of the shadows of the forest. At least she had plenty of ammunition... even if it was gruesome and a bit callous.

The body of one of the critically-injured soldiers, an Uchiha by his hair and one remaining eye, let out a soft wheeze as she picked it up by the collar, but Sakura was unable to tell if it was just from her moving his lungs, or a gasp of pain, or possibly a death rattle, but she had no time to debate it. Instead, pumping just a tiny fraction of her chakra into her limbs, she hurled the body directly to the left of the Suna ninja.

For a brief moment, he looked surprised at something. Perhaps that she'd missed? Or perhaps that Ootori, the 'second coming of Konoha', and therefore 'pacifistic', would abuse a body so? Or even that a medic would?

Then the almost-certainly-now corpse impacted, well, _nothing_. Except that the ninja staggered, and Sakura's smirk widened, "You think I wouldn't notice a basic Genjutsu like that? Please. Medic or not, I'm Haruno-Fucking-Sakura, you bitches! Come get some!"

Most of the Suna forces, perhaps shocked by her declaration, maintained some discipline. Nine of them did not, and they were the first to die, four of those from having large portions of their anatomy crushed by two flailing bodies, and another three by being impaled on a tent pole thrown like a javelin, with all the strength of a giant.

(O)(O)(O)

"Now, Yamanaka Inoichi, I believe it is time we truly discussed the weaknesses of Ootorigakure's defenses," the tall, shaggy brown-haired man growled as he stepped into the interrogation tent, clutching his side with one hand.

The blonde man who had just been spoken to shook his head weakly. An observer familiar with the father of the strong-willed and mentally disciplined Yamanaka Ino would probably wonder what, exactly, it took to make such a man so dangerous in his own right seem so feeble.

Then again, an observer familiar with Yamanaka Inoichi would probably also be familiar with, well, Inoichi's specialty of interrogation. And while the blonde man himself didn't enjoy or often use such crude methods as full-on torture... others did.

"Now, that won't do," the Kazekage growled again as he stepped toward the blonde man they'd captured a few days before, and gesturing the others out of the tent, "You have to realize... we're going to crush this 'Phoenix' village, one way or another. This expeditionary force here is only a tenth of our total might... not counting myself. And Suna, as much as I hate to admit it, is the smallest of the active Great Villages. If we don't destroy you now, someone else will. I'm simply trying to do so with the minimum amount of bloodshed on either side."

Inoichi only grunted, attempting to gather enough saliva or blood to spit at Tanaka, but was unable to summon that moisture.

The Kazekage continued, attempting to sound reasonable, "It's not like I want to _kill_everyone in your new village. I just want to remove their military might. Those that wish to join Suna, well, adding a few hundred ninja would swell our ranks enough to push us back up into fourth, wouldn't it? The civilians, even moreso. Obviously we can't support them all in Sunagakure itself, but we could absorb their numbers through Kaze no Kuni. Not to mention, we have long-term plans on a good portion of Hi no Kuni that is currently lawless. Or worse, held by crime families. Think of the good we could do if we worked together!"

A single chip fell from the wall of Inoichi's resolve. Drugs, torture, even crude mind techniques had not made such a dent. But this...

"Lies..." he said, but through the chemicals remaining in his system and the lack of water for three days, even Inoichi didn't think he sounded very convincing.

(O)(O)(O)

It worked better than Naruto could have hoped. While the main defensive line had not been able to push the invading Suna force back, they _had_been able to force their advance to a grinding halt. That stalemate had lasted for hours, more than enough time for the creators of the sandstorm to run out of chakra, soldier pills or no.

So when the last vestiges of the blowing hand had stilled, and the forward commanders had seen the small, but apparently elite mish-mash unit lead by a tall blonde with an unnatural favorite color attacking the very center of their own line from behind, things fell apart.

Not at first, though.

The Suna commanders, while perhaps overconfident, were all hardened Jonin ninja, experienced in battle, if not actual war, command. They had contingencies in place, or at the least, knew how to react to a smaller force behind them. It was, in fact, thinking about their own plans to defend against such maneuvers by Ootori that had hatched the egg of their attack plan.

So the commanders had quickly turned a portion of their forces back, divided their strength, which allowed the Ootori side to gain ground... for a time.

In return, a force of nearly six hundred samurai, another thousand veteran, though regular, troops, and sixty-one ninja of Chunin rank or higher turned directly toward Naruto's squad, in an effort to ensure that they would not be outflanked, that their command and supply routes would not be compromised.

Unfortunately for the Suna forces, Naruto's plan had been _counting_on that very action.

As he ducked under a swing from the increasingly-wild attacks of the Jonin he was currently facing off against, Naruto's foot crashed down on the man's instep, directly between the two flanges of armor on his lower legs. Bones shattered under the blow, but it was the aftermath which proved fatal. Doubling over in sudden pain with a cry, the Jonin was unable to prevent the followup knee to his face, which sent cartilage and bone fragments from his face and nose up into his brain, killing him instantly.

Even while the Jonin, whose name Naruto never did learn, fell backwards with a quiet _whump_onto the sparse forest floor, the blonde Jinchuuriki was taking stock of the situation.

To his right, the lanky, brown-haired and arrogant (even if Naruto grudgingly had to admit he had the skills to back it up) descendant of Konoha's Sandaime Hokage whipped one of his paired kodachi across the unprotected inside of an elbow joint, removing the arm completely to dangle from the strap of the armor, while the other thrust back into the stomach of a samurai who had been attempting to flank him. Beyond Konohamaru, the white-haired heiress of Hi no Kuni (as far as he could tell) was putting on, if anything, an even better show.

While she was not handling more than one opponent at a time, even the better fighters of the group- at least, those Naruto and Uchiha Yoko, the team's sole Jonin- were unable to compete with the flair the teen girl had for one-on-one combat.

She literally danced around her opponents, her lean, athletic body warped into a blur of mostly darkened brown leather and tan skin, highlighted by the flash of her matte-steel kodachi-and-trench-knife weapons pair, with a single bright streak of white from her short-cropped hair. All the while, the blades of her weapons, and less often her own hands, feet, knees, elbows, and even head, pierced through the weak spots of her opponent's armor.

Those precise blows crippled, incapacitated, and then killed one person after another with a speed and rhythm Naruto, himself a close-combat and ninjutsu specialist, found awe-inspiring. Her teacher(s) had been _good_!

Even Yoko, who had a Sharingan to aid her, could not deliver quite the finesse the young heiress of Hi no Kuni was using against their enemies with almost an almost casual lack of care for her own safety. Rather than defend, Naruto saw, she almost seemed to lean _into_her opponents' strikes, which seemed to throw them off just enough that she could slip through with just a scratch or minor flesh wound, while debilitating or ending her opponents with the first opening their surprise at her close range gave.

The close-knit combat group they were in, mostly circled around their medic pair of Shima Karukui and What-was-his-name Shuki, who were dashing to and fro helping where they could to support the engagement, with Karakui also occasionally taking potshots with her short han-kyu bow to help out the group's lone dedicated 'archer', who was the fourteen-year-old son of Uchiha Itachi's new wife, Inari. That boy had seemingly gotten over his fear, replacing it with a cold determination to take down as many of the advancing forces as he could before they were overrun and he would be slaughtered.

As a result, Naruto was also impressed with his accuracy. With only a pot to protect his head, and a small, hand crossbow barely suitable for hunting, Naruto had worried the boy would be effective. But he was certainly that. While the crossbow didn't have the range of a heavier weapon, it was still far beyond that of a kunai in effective range, and the bolts traveled with such velocity that only the best-trained ninja could block them.

One might think that the armor the heavier troops and samurai were wearing would protect them, but the kid was _good_, and even just the small eye-slits in a samurai's mempo were vulnerable enough for him, at least within fifty meters.

Glancing around once again as his new opponent closed, Naruto thought they were doing fairly well all things considered. The traps had certainly delayed or weakened several of the Suna force's squads, even obliterating a few via explosive tag or earth-style mud traps that sank heavily-armored men twenty feet below the surface of the forest.

Then, Naruto cringed as the voice of the vain Minamoto, one of his squadmates, rang out in a scream of pain.

(O)(O)(O)

"Yes, that's better," the Kazekage smiled softly, allowing his captive to rest. True, Inoichi Yamanaka, infamous everywhere but in Hi no Kuni (where he was nearly revered as a ninja of both honor and power, and the seedier elements that covered the country now stayed well away from his home) for his mental prowess and ability to ruin any opposing ninja team's day almost single-handedly, began speaking.

After all... no one was immune to pain.

You just had to find the best balance between pain and relief.

Even the gold dust under Inoichi's eyelids hadn't broken Inoichi, who himself was intimately familiar with all forms of interrogation, even if he found most distasteful.

But threaten his family, especially his heiress daughter with the same, when she was captured?

Everyone had a breaking point. It was just a matter of what, and when.

As the secrets started to flow, Tanaka's grin continued to widen.

**A/N2:** Not much to say... next chapter will be as soon as I can get it written and edited. That might be a few days, it might be a month. Can't say, unfortunately, because it looks like my hours are sticking where they are for a while. More money for me (I could use it), but less time to write (which sucks).  
I'll have to deal either way, though.  
Until next time, kiddies, don't forget to read and review!

**Glossary: **

**Shuki:**No one of note, a minor medic ninja. On Naruto's squad.

**Shima Karukui:**Not of particular note. Non-ninja, she was nonetheless pressed into service on Naruto's squad due to her skill in hunting (archery) and trapping, as well as first-aid.

**Uchiha Yoko:**An adult Jonin of the Uchiha Clan. Female, pretty I suppose, but nothing really special. Just there to back up Naruto in a fight.

**Han-kyu**: A small bow (the Japanese version of a European shortbow). It's roughly the length of an arm from wrist to shoulder, and has a relatively short effective range compared to the standard bow, but still effective in skirmishes and against soft (animal) targets.

**Inari:** Yeah, that's him, plus a few years. He may or may not be more important later, I'm not sure yet.


End file.
